Italy closes maritime and air borders with Spain
Rome, July 31
The Ministry of Interior of Italy, Matteo Piantedosi, on Friday ordered the closure of maritime and air borders with Spain, amid the ongoing migrant crisis in Ceuta, with a large number of migrants arriving.
The decision was taken following the most recent intelligence acquisitions analysed in particular by the Committee for Immigration and Border Security Analysis, which Minister Matteo Piantedosi chaired this morning at the Viminale, following the migratory crisis in Ceuta, Italian News Agency Adnkronos reported.
Over 48,000 migrants have returned to Morocco from the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, where approximately 60,000 people have arrived in recent days. The Spanish Interior Ministry announced this in Madrid.
Morocco's Interior Minister, Abdelouafi Laftit, assured the Madrid government regarding taking back all the migrants.
"We will take everyone back, without any exception," stated the Minister after approximately 60,000 Moroccans arrived in Ceuta, the Spanish exclave considered a gateway to Europe, in recent days.
The two countries "have committed to reviewing and implementing measures that allow the return, as soon as possible, of all people who entered Ceuta illegally," said Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska.
The North African country "has no interest in projecting the image of a country in crisis," with young people ready to flee the country, just two days after King Mohamed VI's Throne Speech, during which he asserted the strength of a growing, politically stable country ready to welcome foreign capital, said a Moroccan analyst interviewed by Adnkronos.
A Morocco "that has become the leading car exporter in Africa," the king had said on Wednesday, where "the automotive, aeronautics, renewable energy, and agri-food sectors are the essential pillars of the national productive fabric, due to their ability to attract investment and their capacity to create wealth and employment."
In Madrid, it is believed that the crisis was triggered by the Spanish Supreme Court's ruling of July 8, according to which migrants who arrived by swimming into the exclave must instead be subject to an administrative procedure, which is longer and offers greater guarantees. A new situation perceived as an opportunity by migrants. And human trafficking organisations seized upon this, amplifying and distorting the message.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Meanwhile, 60,000 people in Ceuta and all we hear about is border closures. What about humanitarian corridors? What about processing asylum claims fairly? Spain's Supreme Court ruling basically opened a loophole, and now Italy slams the door. This is what happens when policies aren't coordinated. Europe needs to speak with one voice on migration, not fragment like this.
As an Indian, I see some parallels with our own challenges - whether it's Rohingya refugees or Bangladeshi migrants. But can we blame Italy for acting? Morocco said they'd take everyone back "without exception" - that's a strong commitment. The real issue is human trafficking networks exploiting vulnerable people. We need to crack down on those cartels, not just close borders.
Interesting that Morocco's king just gave a big speech about how stable and growing his country is, then 48,000 people try to flee to Spain. That's a credibility gap if I've ever seen one. Either the king is out of touch with his citizens, or there's something more sinister going on. The car export industry means little when young people are swimming across borders.
"We will take everyone back, without any exception" - did Morocco really say that? That's a dangerous statement. These are their own citizens, not cargo to be returned. Something tells me this goes beyond migration. Politics of the region, maybe? Either way, the EU needs to stop acting like this is just a law-and-order problem. It's a human crisis. 🇪🇺
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