EU Interior Minister to meet on Tuesday on Ceuta emergency
Rome, Aug 2
A meeting of European Union Interior Ministers on the emergency migrant crisis going on in Spain's Ceuta enclave has been convened for Tuesday.
The meeting was requested in a letter signed by 22 European countries, led by Italy and Denmark, but without France and Portugal, the two countries bordering Spain, Italian News Agency Adnkronos reported.
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen received the letter from the 22 countries and from Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, accepting the request for an emergency videoconference to assess the crisis. She reiterated that combating illegal migration requires solidarity and a united European response.
She then spoke about the situation in Ceuta, confirming that no migrant who arrived in recent days managed to reach mainland Spain or other EU countries. The vast majority have already returned to Morocco. Von der Leyen emphasised the need to strengthen border control, maintain vigilance at every crossing, and ensure close coordination among authorities. The Commission has offered immediate support to Spain.
Prime Minister Sanchez sent a letter to the EU to criticise the positions of some countries on the Ceuta migration crisis, requesting an urgent summit of Interior Ministers. The move comes after Italy's suspension of Schengen with Spain. He asks the Irish Presidency for an extraordinary meeting to reiterate that the security of external borders is a shared responsibility. Sanchez asserted that Madrid has re-established border control, assisted migrants, repatriated "practically all" irregular arrivals, and prevented movements to other countries with little European support. He also defended the Spanish migration policy, which has reduced irregular entries, making Spain the "second safest external border of the EU".
Sanchez criticised the proposal to temporarily exclude Spain from Schengen as "selfish" and "illegitimate", calling it the result of "prejudices or political interests". He emphasised that Ceuta is not in the Schengen area and that the Spanish border is among the least porous in the EU.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Spain's Sanchez is right to criticize Italy's Schengen suspension. Such decisions affect the whole EU, not just one country. The union needs solidarity, not selfishness. This reminds me of how we handle state-level disputes in India - we need dialogue, not unilateral action.
The EU's approach to migration seems very reactive. They keep having emergency meetings instead of having a long-term strategy. We in India face similar pressures from Bangladesh and Myanmar, but we try to handle it with a mix of border control and diplomatic engagement. Europe could learn from that.
Interesting to see Spain claim to have the second safest external border. But numbers don't tell the whole story. The human aspect of migration is often overlooked. I hope the EU remembers that behind these statistics are real people with real dreams.
It's hypocritical for Italy to suspend Schengen with Spain while requesting an EU-wide meeting. You can't ask for solidarity and then act selfishly. This is exactly what happens in our neighborhoods when one state tries to act unilaterally on border issues.
The EU should focus on addressing root causes of migration - economic disparity, conflict, climate change. Emergency meetings are like putting a band-aid on a deep wound. India has long experience with migration and we know border walls alone don't solve anything. 😔
M Michael C