Latvian Interior Minister Jānis Dombrava (National Alliance) sent a letter to Spain regarding the recent migration crisis in Ceuta, where tens of thousands of people crossed from Morocco within a short period. According to Latvian Television’s (LTV) news programme Panorāma, the letter was received sensitively in Madrid, with Spanish officials reportedly viewing its tone as overly patronising.
Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs (New Unity) has since reminded the Interior Minister that future correspondence with foreign governments should be coordinated with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
According to Dombrava, the letter argued that the situation in Ceuta should not be viewed as an isolated incident but as part of a broader challenge requiring a European Union-wide response. He stressed the need to strengthen the EU’s external borders, expressed Latvia’s solidarity with Spain, and offered various forms of technical assistance should they be required within the framework of the EU’s solidarity mechanisms.
“At the same time, we also pointed out that illegal migrants should not be granted legal status. A considerable number of countries have already stated that such actions create broader risks for the security of the Schengen Area,” Dombrava said.
The minister said he had received no direct response from Spain
and described the subsequent meeting of EU interior ministers as having produced a “fairly positive or neutral response” from the Spanish side.
However, according to unofficial information obtained by LTV from what it described as reliable sources, Spanish officials privately expressed disappointment with the Latvian minister’s letter. The report says the tone was perceived as patronising, and Spain reportedly argued behind closed doors that while Spanish troops contribute to Latvia’s security, Latvia had chosen to criticise Spain at a time when it was itself facing a major migration crisis.
Prime Minister Kulbergs acknowledged that he was aware of the letter.
“I appreciate Mr Dombrava’s determination, initiative and commitment to strengthening Latvia’s border protection and national security. However, sometimes that initiative goes a little too far,” Kulbergs said.
“This was one of those occasions when the matter should have been coordinated.”
According to the Prime Minister, Dombrava’s intention had been to share Latvia’s experience in dealing with hybrid attacks and to draw attention to the view that the migration pressure facing Spain also constituted a form of hybrid attack originating from Morocco.
“He wanted to explain how Latvia has dealt with migration pressure orchestrated by Belarus and Russia. However, these issues are highly sensitive in the international arena and should always be coordinated with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” Kulbergs said.
According to the Prime Minister, such coordination is essential to ensure consistent messaging and to keep the government informed about official communications with foreign partners.
As previously reported, following the migration crisis in Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta, EU interior ministers agreed during a video conference on Tuesday to strengthen efforts against migrant smuggling networks, accelerate deportation procedures and improve information sharing.
Last week, large numbers of irregular migrants arrived in Ceuta.
Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska said that approximately 72,000 irregular migrants had entered the city, which has a population of around 85,000. At least 72 migrants reportedly died while attempting to reach the enclave.
Since then, around 70,000 migrants have left Ceuta and returned to Morocco. Nevertheless, the incident has heightened tensions between Madrid and several European partners.
In a joint statement following the meeting, EU interior ministers stressed the need to continue combating migrant smuggling networks, strengthen deportation procedures, reinforce the EU’s external borders, deepen cooperation with third countries and improve forecasting and early-warning capabilities.
The ministers also agreed on the need to improve common situational awareness, including enhanced monitoring of social media.
The statement further noted that communication during crises should be strengthened through timely coordination and greater consistency, particularly to counter hostile foreign actors engaged in information manipulation and interference campaigns.
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