Nournews: As several European Union member states intensified security measures along their borders following an influx of North African migrants into Spain, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called for a “unified response” to ensure the security of Europe’s borders in a letter to Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. Referring to the developments in Ceuta, she emphasized the need to strengthen external border controls, expand early-warning systems, combat human trafficking networks, cooperate with countries of origin, and accelerate the process of returning migrants.

Although these remarks appear, on the surface, to represent an effort to promote European solidarity in addressing the migration crisis, they are, in reality, focused less on resolving the root causes of the issue and more on managing the consequences of a crisis whose origins, according to the article, are significantly linked to Western policies. Such an approach, while overlooking the main drivers of migration, could contribute to increased deportations of asylum seekers and the strengthening of extremist and racist movements in Europe—movements that, fueled by radical nationalism, would pose growing threats to the continent’s security and social cohesion.

The Slogan of Unity; the Reality of European Division

The President of the European Commission has called for coordinated action at a time when the latest crisis in Spain has once again revealed deep divisions within the European Union. The reactions of some European governments, including Giorgia Meloni’s call for suspending Spain’s membership in the Schengen Area and the hardline positions adopted by some other members, indicate that the priority of many European capitals is not resolving the shared crisis, but rather exploiting it for political purposes.

This fragmentation is not limited to migration. Major disagreements over the war in Ukraine, relations with Russia, the consequences of U.S. tariffs, the future of global trade, Europe’s role in security arrangements, and even strategic issues such as the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the Strait of Hormuz all demonstrate that the European Union is struggling with structural divisions rather than enjoying strategic cohesion. Under such circumstances, calls for “unified action” appear less like an operational strategy and more like political rhetoric incapable of restoring Europe’s lost unity.

The Roots of the Crisis; A Reality Brussels Overlooks

European leaders continue to emphasize tighter border controls and measures against irregular migration while avoiding discussion of certain factors that have contributed to the current crisis. According to Spanish officials and some political and security analysts, the pressures facing Madrid go beyond migration and are linked to Spain’s positions regarding Gaza and Iran, which have allegedly exposed the country to political, economic, and security pressures.

Based on this analysis, the influx of migrants toward Spain’s borders is part of a broader set of pressures pursued by external actors to put Madrid under pressure. The article argues that if Europe continues to ignore these factors and the impact of U.S. and Israeli policies on its internal security while maintaining unconditional support for these policies, developing a unified strategy to manage security and humanitarian crises will remain out of reach. As long as Europe’s security, economy, and politics remain influenced by external considerations, migration will continue to be used as a tool of pressure against the continent.

Double Standards; A Driving Force Behind the Migration Crisis

Another fundamental challenge facing Europe is the continuation of double standards regarding migration. The European Union, on the one hand, pursues some of the strictest policies to prevent migrant arrivals and return irregular migrants, while on the other hand criticizing other countries’ approaches to irregular migration through the language of human rights and using such criticism as a tool of political pressure.

This contradiction becomes more evident when Europe’s role in addressing the underlying causes of migration is examined. Support for wars, the continuation of economic sanctions, failure to fulfill financial and development commitments, involvement in destabilizing various regions, and silence regarding crises that have displaced millions have all contributed to the expansion of irregular migration flows. Under such circumstances, merely strengthening borders without reforming policies that themselves contribute to insecurity and displacement will not only fail to contain the crisis but will make it more complicated.

Sustainable Security Requires a Reassessment of Western Policies

Europe cannot simultaneously claim to defend human rights and uphold international conventions related to refugees while avoiding its own responsibilities and, at the same time, contributing to the conditions that generate large-scale migration. Therefore, the recent positions of the European Commission President, without addressing the true roots of the crisis, represent less a solution to the problem and more an attempt to shift responsibility and downplay the role of key actors in creating the current situation.

The reality is that an effective response to the migration crisis cannot be achieved through the mere securitization of borders. It requires a reassessment of interventionist policies, an end to double standards, and acknowledgment of the responsibility of Western powers for the consequences of their actions. Otherwise, any call for “unified action” will remain merely a political slogan—one that neither resolves Europe’s current crisis nor prevents the emergence of larger crises in the future.