Key facts
- Draft conclusions link irregular migration to crime rates.
- Leaders seek to avoid measures that incentivize illegal migration.
- Spain's handling of the Ceuta migration crisis has been a point of contention.
Leaders from Denmark, Italy, and Poland are advocating for a significantly tougher European Union approach to irregular migration, according to draft summit conclusions and EU diplomats. The proposed language, backed by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, suggests that irregular migration is "negatively affecting crime rates" and poses a challenge to the cohesion of European societies. The draft also emphasizes the importance of controlling irregular arrivals and avoiding measures that could incentivize illegal migration. The EU's 27 leaders are scheduled to discuss the issue at a summit session. Tensions have been heightened by events such as the overwhelming of Spain's Ceuta exclave by migrants and the rise of far-right parties across the bloc. A proposal for a consultation mechanism on national measures impacting other member states is also included, though language concerning social housing was removed to avoid provoking Spain.