Authored by Guy Birchall via The Epoch Times,
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson has called the Spanish government's amnesty for illegal immigrants a "very bad idea," warning that it could spark another migrant crisis akin to the one that beset the continent in 2015.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson in Brussels on Dec. 19, 2024. Johanna Geron/ReutersThe center-right politician, who is running for reelection next month, told the Financial Times in an interview published on Aug. 11 that the Spanish amnesty for more than a million illegal immigrants had caused a "pretty big outcry" at the last summit of EU leaders.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's government granted a royal decree on April 14, launching the regularization of people living illegally in the country.
The proposal was first presented on Jan. 27 to allow about 500,000 illegal immigrants already living and working in Spain to obtain legal status through an accelerated process. According to figures from the Spanish government, almost 1.2 million applications for regularization were received.
The move was controversial, but the migrant surge in Ceuta, a Spanish exclave on the North African side of the Mediterranean at the end of July, compounded concerns.
Kristersson said a knock-on effect from Madrid's move could pose a serious threat to the European Union's free movement zone, known as the Schengen Area.
"It symbolizes that we still have to be very, very careful not to act in a way that could even come close to what happened in 2015," Kristersson said. "I think Spain got the message ... but it shows the vulnerability."
He said he had told Sánchez that he disapproved of the move.
"Having [the amnesty] also creates a possibility for you to use European territory. That is specifically damaging for us because we know from experience that many people coming to Europe prefer to go north. Exactly that happened in 2015," Kristersson said.
"It is not the time to get relaxed on this ... there is a huge majority in Sweden saying they cannot go back to an uncontrolled situation. ... Doing things that could jeopardize a stable situation would be a very bad idea."
In 2015, 1.3 million people, mostly fleeing war in Syria and Iraq, sought refuge in Europe, causing the EU's asylum system to collapse; reception centers were overwhelmed in Greece and Italy, with countries further north erecting barriers to stop illegal immigrants from entering.
Illegal immigrants gather along the fence at the site of clashes near Fnideq on the Morocco-Spain border, in Fnideq, Morocco, on July 31, 2026. Abdel Majid Bziouat/AFP via Getty ImagesThe unprecedented influx into Ceuta began on July 30, when an estimated 50,000 to 60,000 people entered the exclave from Morocco by land and sea. Many swam around a border breakwater after social media posts claimed that Spain had opened its border.
More than 80 people died on both sides of the border, according to figures released by Spanish and Moroccan authorities. Some drowned while attempting to swim to Ceuta, while others were crushed or trampled during chaotic efforts to climb a breakwater and border fence.
Moroccan migrants swim across the sea border into Ceuta, Spain, near Avenida Martínez Catena, on July 31, 2026. Etienne Fauchaire for The Epoch TimesIn the wake of that incident, multiple leaders around Europe issued sharp criticism of Sánchez's government, with Italy temporarily suspending its Schengen Area agreement with Spain.
The one-month suspension of border-free travel between Italy and Spain was announced on July 31 by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Deputy Prime Ministers Antonio Tajani and Matteo Salvini, who described the move as necessary for security.
France, which shares a land border with the Spanish mainland, also announced an intensification of controls along the border.
Italy's move was supported by a number of EU member states, including Finland, Denmark, and the Czech Republic, with the governments of all three saying that Brussels should consider closing the Schengen Area to Spain.
On Aug. 4, EU interior ministers called for stronger borders, faster returns, and expanded efforts to dismantle migrant-smuggling networks as a result of the Ceuta surge.
Kristersson faces an election on Sept. 13, having led the Scandinavian nation since 2022 as head of a coalition comprising his Moderate Party, the Christian Democrats, and the Liberals with additional support from the Sweden Democrats.
Swedish polling company Novus's poll of 5,726 eligible voters, conducted 6-9 July, gave the Social Democrats 32 percent, the Sweden Democrats 20 percent, and Moderates 17 percent.
Sweden tightened its previously liberal immigration and citizenship policies earlier this year because of the vast numbers of immigrants it has taken in over the past two decades.
In November, Stockholm launched an inquiry to investigate "parallel social structures" that had emerged in the country.
Swedish Minister for Education and Integration Simona Mohamsson said in a statement at the time that these structures, consisting of "clans and family-based networks," undermine "the rule of law, threaten democracy, and hamper integration."
A policeman watches over a queue of newly arrived people at Hyllie Station, outside Malmo, Sweden, on Nov. 19, 2015. Johan Nilsson/TT News Agency via AP"It is unacceptable that people in Sweden live under social control, are subjected to honour-based violence and oppression or are prevented from fully participating in society," she said. "With this inquiry, we are taking an important step towards addressing these problems."
The inquiry's report is due to be presented on Aug. 20.
In June, the Swedish parliament passed a law allowing authorities to revoke residence permits from immigrants for "not behaving properly," the latest in a series of moves breaking away from the country's once-liberal immigration system.
Residency permits can now be revoked for conduct including unpaid debts, undeclared work, organizing begging, and more, even where the behavior falls short of a criminal conviction.
Tyler Durden Wed, 08/12/2026 - 06:30Norwegian aluminum producer Norsk Hydro's Alunorte plant in Brazil, one of the world's largest alumina refineries, reduced output by 50% following disruptions to natural gas availability.
Bloomberg reports that disruptions to NatGas availability at Alunorte forced a 50% reduction in output and sent aluminum prices in London to a seven-week high. Hydro said production would return to full capacity once gas supplies normalize.
Aluminum rose nearly 2% in London and traded at $3,373 a metric ton. Alumina futures gained 1% in Shanghai.
NatGas is critical to Alunorte because alumina refining requires high-temperature heat and steam. The gas powers the Bayer process, which refines bauxite:
The disruption means that Alunorte cannot maintain enough steam and furnace heat to operate its production lines, forcing the refinery to reduce throughput. For context, Alunorte is the world's largest single-site alumina refinery and the largest outside China. It is located in Barcarena, Pará, and has an annual capacity of 6.3 million metric tons.
Inventories in London Metal Exchange warehouses have fallen to 250,000 tons, the lowest level since November 1990. Norsk Hydro recently warned that the annual global aluminum deficit could top 900,000 tons if trade through the Strait of Hormuz remained disrupted.
Also in the industrial metals space, copper futures in London are trading above $14,000 per ton as metal inflows into the US continue ahead of President Trump's expected tariff, effectively tightening global supplies.
Surging prices for both industrial metals will only make electrification and decarbonization even more expensive.
"Copper and aluminum are important beneficiaries of electrification and decarbonization," said UniCredit SpA strategist Thomas Strobel. "While copper's investment case is driven by structural supply constraints, aluminum benefits from lightweighting, grid expansion and recycling. Together, they offer complementary exposure to some of the strongest long-term trends in the global economy."
Tyler Durden Wed, 08/12/2026 - 05:45//--> //--> //--> Strait of Hormuz traffic returns to normal by September 30?
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Iran Pours Cold Water on Pakistan's Diplomatic OptimismPakistan started the day by floating optimistic reports of the warring sides reverting to 'moving toward peace efforts' - however that appears very short-lived, or really was probably never a reality, given soon on the heels of these claims a top Iranian official has reiterated that the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the US corrects its 'behavior'. According to fresh reports out of state media sources:
Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran Rezaei says Strait of Hormuz will not open until the US changes its behavior and accepts Iran's conditions.
This comes amid widespread reports that Iran has just undergone a significant military shuffling of top command leadership, which points to the ascent of the 'hardliner' crowd - as in those who are against signing an MoU deal with Washington...
Iran’s Leader has appointed 6 top military commanders:
• Ali Abdollahi: Chief of Staff
• Ahmad Vahidi: IRGC Commander
• Kiumars Heydari: Deputy Chief of Staff
• Mostafa Izadi: Deputy IRGC Commander
• Ali Ozmayi: IRGC-Navy Commander
• Hossein Taeb: Chief of Basij. pic.twitter.com/3usuJwSm1y
The Wall Street Journal and others are picking up on Tehran's obvious shift away from negotiations, and toward a more permanent state of military resistance. It writes: "Now, the new supreme leader, Khamenei’s son Mojtaba, is putting his own stamp on the country’s national-security policy amid a confrontation with the U.S. that could last months or even years."
According to more of WSJ's analysis:
In a sweeping overhaul of the government’s top echelon on Sunday and Monday, Iran named seasoned hard-liners to run the country’s security policies and institutions of repression.
It marked the most significant government reshuffle under Mojtaba Khamenei, who hasn’t been seen in public since the war began. U.S. intelligence agencies say he is alive but severely injured, and top Iranian cabinet members say they have never met him since he took office. Iranian officials say he was injured but in good health.
Analysts said the appointments signaled Khamenei’s determination to hold fast in a showdown with President Trump, who is seeking concessions on Iran’s nuclear program and the Strait of Hormuz.
“The regime is preparing for a more confrontational posture at home and abroad,” said Kasra Aarabi, an expert on the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a powerful paramilitary force, at United Against Nuclear Iran, a policy organization that opposes Iran’s government.
For some - especially the non-interventionists, it was obvious the war would take this course from day one.
'Return of Peace Efforts' Headline Pushes Oil DownDespite what are clearly ongoing attacks on international vessels in regional waters, suddenly mediators are feeling optimism again, and decided to float another apparent round of pre-US market open headlines suggesting peace could return.
Though there's as yet no evidence of this, the Pakistani Defense Minister has signaled that the US and Iran are close to some agreement and that the situation is moving towards peace. Oil prices promptly plummeted ahead of market open. Pakistan’s interior minister Mohsin Raza Naqvi, has also just arrived in Tehran for talks with Iranian officials amid going mediation efforts, according to Iran’s Mehr news agency.
This came ironically just as reports of more serious shipping incidents, at least one of them deadly, emerged in regional waters, but perhaps the brief 'peace is near' headline redux had its intended effect on markets.
And significantly, the US is clearly still enforcing its military blockade of Iranian ports - and so no, the warring sides do not seem 'close' to a return to deal-making, instead the ground reality is quite the opposite:
US forces reportedly fired on a Panama-flagged ship that attempted to run the American blockade of Iranian ports early Tuesday, according to WSJ citing a US official.
"A U.S. military helicopter fired at the rudder of the ship after its crew ignored warnings from American personnel working to enforce the naval blockade of Iran’s ports, the official said," The Wall Street Journal details:
"There were no immediate reports of any casualties in the incident, which took place before dawn on Tuesday. The U.S. official said the ship appeared to be attempting to transfer its crew to another civilian vessel after the attack," the report adds.
Deaths of Crew Members under Houthi AttackThere's been a major deadly attack on a commercial ship in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandeb Strait region off Yemen on Tuesday, amid the ongoing escalation against Saudi shipping by the Houthis.
Yemen's internationally recognized government has announced that at least three people have been killed in a Houthi attack on an unidentified commercial ship in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, however there's been no immediate confirmation forthcoming from the Houthis themselves.
The small vessel has been identified as the Tanzania-flagged Tihamah, and reports say this marks the first deaths from Houthi maritime attacks since the start of the Iran war in February.
File image via OilPriceAccording to emerging details in Reuters via maritime monitors:
UK Maritime Trade Operations said it had been informed that a cargo vessel off the coast of al-Mokha, Yemen, had been hit by an unknown projectile, resulting in casualties.
British maritime security company Ambrey said the ship was reportedly targeted and damaged by the Houthis, killing three crew members, while at anchor 3.3 nautical miles northeast of Perim Island, Yemen.
Two Pakistanis and one Indonesian person were killed as the ship sailed from Salalah in Oman via Djibouti, the Yemeni sources said. After the attack, the crew lost control of the ship and were approached by Yemeni coast guard, they added.
And yet the stricken vessel does not appear to be Saudi-owned or operated, which could signal that the Houthis are expanding their siege of the waterway to include all foreign vessels and not just Saudi and Israeli-linked ones.
Further east, UKMTO also received a report of an incident involving a container ship and military forces in the Gulf of Oman.
UKMTO WARNING 109-26
Click here to view the full product ⤵️ https://t.co/352rLshzGu#MaritimeSecurity #MarSec pic.twitter.com/5g4OTPteMc
If this alleged incident which is closer to the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz is confirmed, it would likely be a directly Iranian-linked incident. WSJ details that "maritime security firm Vanguard reported that a Panama-flagged containership called Vela Nova was struck by a missile fired from a helicopter while transiting westbound through the Gulf of Oman about 71 nautical miles from the coast of Pakistan."
"The missile struck the vessel, causing a fire that was subsequently extinguished," said Vanguard, noting that all 17 crewmembers are accounted for.
Since joining the regional conflict on Iran's side, the Houthis - which have long been seen as proxies of Tehran, have attacked dozens of vessels after declaring their "siege for siege" operations against Saudi Arabia.
Overnight Developments