Spanish premier urges EU action, solidarity over Ceuta migration crisis
Spain’s premier has asked the EU to convene an emergency meeting of interior ministers, saying Spain received "very little support" from some member states during the days-long migration crisis in the North African enclave of Ceuta, Spanish daily El Pais reported on Saturday.
cumhuriyet.com.trIn a letter sent to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Pedro Sanchez expressed his "deep concern" over the reaction of several European governments following the irregular arrival of around 50,000 migrants in Ceuta from neighboring Morocco earlier this week.
He called for an extraordinary videoconference of EU interior ministers to coordinate a common response, arguing that protecting the bloc's external borders is "a shared responsibility of all member states."
Sanchez said Spain had restored border control, provided humanitarian assistance, returned "virtually all" of the migrants who entered irregularly, and prevented unauthorized onward movements to other EU countries in less than 48 hours.
According to the letter, those measures were carried out in coordination with Morocco but with "very little support" from other EU member states.
The prime minister also criticized proposals by some governments to temporarily exclude Spain from the Schengen area, saying such positions stem from "prejudice, fake news, ignorance or political interests" and run counter to European law, humanitarian law, and the principle of EU solidarity.
He noted that Ceuta, a Spanish territory on the North African coast, is not part of the Schengen area and argued that Spain has one of the EU's least porous external borders, citing Frontex data.
Sanchez concluded by urging von der Leyen to ensure a "swift, effective and coordinated" European response.
Meanwhile, Madrid announced it would begin the gradual reopening of the Beni Enzar crossing at Melilla – a separate Spanish enclave in North Africa, some 225 kilometers (140 miles) to the east – for vehicles taking part in Operation Crossing the Strait, with access to be restored in phases according to security conditions.
According to Spain's Interior Ministry, at least 67 people died trying to reach Spain during the crisis, while more than 48,000 of the nearly 50,000 migrants who entered Ceuta from Morocco have already returned.