EU leaders criticise Spain over Ceuta migrant surge as 80 die

• Al Jazeera led on the political divisions within the EU over migration policy, quoting Sánchez’s defence of Spain’s response and his criticism of Italy’s border controls. The report included the 37% decline in irregular crossings reported by Frontex, framing the Ceuta surge as an outlier against a broader downward trend.
• The article quoted human rights groups accusing far-right politicians of exploiting the crisis for anti-immigration narratives. It also carried a statement from a Moroccan official, speaking anonymously to AFP, who rejected suggestions that the surge reflected a failure by Morocco’s security forces. The official said the mass movement was linked to a recent Spanish Supreme Court ruling, which smuggling networks had misrepresented to encourage crossings.
• Al Jazeera used the term "migrants" throughout, and described the EU’s new migration rules as measures that could leave asylum seekers stranded in offshore detention centres. The report quoted Sánchez’s post on X, where he said Italy’s position was "contrary to European law, humanitarian law, and the principles of solidarity that bind us together."

• The centre-rated coverage agreed that EU leaders criticised Spain’s handling of the Ceuta migrant surge and that Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez faced accusations of weak migration policies. Both reports noted the rapid return of most migrants to Morocco.
• The Hill led on the scale of EU criticism directed at Sánchez, describing it as "blistering" and "withering". Jornal Expresso focused on Sánchez’s defence, reporting his repudiation of the criticism and his claim of swift action in Ceuta.
• Neither digest mentioned the 80 deaths linked to the surge. The Hill included the total number of migrants who arrived (72,000), while Jornal Expresso omitted this figure.

We have not written our reading of the right coverage of this story. The right-rated outlets that ran it are listed below.