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EU Calls Emergency Meeting on Ceuta Migration Crisis
🇬🇷 Greece /Disasters & Emergencies

EU Calls Emergency Meeting on Ceuta Migration Crisis

From Ta Nea · () Greek

Translated from Greek, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources New plan
  • The EU will hold an emergency meeting of interior ministers via video conference on Tuesday to address the crisis in Ceuta.
  • The meeting was requested by 22 member states and the Spanish government, who are concerned about migration policies acting as

European Union interior ministers will convene an emergency video conference on Tuesday to address the escalating migration crisis in Ceuta. The meeting, prompted by a joint request from 22 member states and the Spanish government, aims to formulate a coordinated European response to the situation.

Concerns have been raised by the 22 countries that certain policies, such as mass legalization of migrants, could act as "pull factors" for irregular migration flows. They also link the tensions in Ceuta to a recent Spanish Supreme Court ruling that prohibits on-site pushbacks, suggesting that migrant trafficking rings have exploited this development. These nations warn they are prepared to reinforce or reintroduce temporary controls on internal EU borders if necessary to prevent secondary movements of migrants to other member states. They emphasize the need for the EU to prevent the perception that irregular entry can lead to legal residency, as this would encourage further mass arrivals.

mass legalization of migrants may act as 'pull factors' for new irregular migration flows.

— Leaders of 22 countriesIn a joint letter to European leaders, the leaders of 22 countries expressed concern about policies that might encourage irregular migration.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has called for a unified European approach to the crisis, criticizing calls for Spain's temporary exclusion from the Schengen Area. He stated that cooperation with Morocco has facilitated the return of most irregular migrants who entered Ceuta and that no onward movements to other European countries have been recorded. Sánchez accused some European governments of instrumentalizing the crisis for domestic political reasons, citing reactions based on prejudice, misinformation, and a lack of information.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen confirmed receipt of the letters from European leaders and welcomed the emergency video conference. The initiative is supported by Italy, Germany, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Slovakia, Slovenia, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, the Czech Republic, Romania, and Sweden. France has categorically rejected any possibility of excluding Spain from the Schengen Zone. Ireland, Luxembourg, and Portugal are not participating in the initiative.

the crisis is being instrumentalized for domestic political reasons, with reactions based on prejudice, false news, and a lack of information.

— Pedro SánchezThe Spanish Prime Minister criticized some European governments for their handling of the migration crisis.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Ta Nea in Greek. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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