EU commends Spain's 'swift response' to Ceuta migrant crisis
EU commends Spain's 'swift response' to Ceuta migrant crisis - Published The European Union has praised Spain's "swift response" to the migrant crisis in...
Key points
- EU commends Spain's 'swift response' to Ceuta migrant crisis - Published The European Union has praised Spain's "swift response" to the migrant crisis in Ceuta, following a meeting of the bloc's interior ministers on Tuesday.
- Around 72,000 migrants crossed into the Spanish territory in North Africa between 30 and 31 July, Spain's Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska said.
- Irish Justice Minister Jim O'Callaghan, who chaired Tuesday's meeting, said the EU stood in solidarity with Spain and that migration required "a united European response".
- In response, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said he had "serious concerns" about some European governments and pointed out that Ceuta was not part of the Schengen area.
What happened
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EU commends Spain's 'swift response' to Ceuta migrant crisis - Published The European Union has praised Spain's "swift response" to the migrant crisis in Ceuta, following a meeting of the bloc's interior ministers on Tuesday. Around 72,000 migrants crossed into the Spanish territory in North Africa between 30 and 31 July, Spain's Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska said. Irish Justice Minister Jim O'Callaghan, who chaired Tuesday's meeting, said the EU stood in solidarity with Spain and that migration required "a united European response". In response, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said he had "serious concerns" about some European governments and pointed out that Ceuta was not part of the Schengen area. Speaking after the meeting on Tuesday, Grande-Marlaska said the Schengen zone had not been compromised and that he hoped Italy would lift any added controls "as soon as possible". Speaking afterwards, EU commissioner Magnus Brunner said the incident had been a "test" of European resilience and border security - which he said it had successfully "passed".