EU's Weber calls for rapid action on return centers after Ceuta crisis

Manfred Weber, the leader of the European People's Party, is urging swift action to establish return centers in Africa following a recent migration crisis in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta. In a guest article for the "Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung," Weber highlighted the EU's "enormous offers" through trade, economic cooperation, and legal migration to countries willing to partner on these return hubs.

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enormous offers for countries that cooperate with us on these return hubs

Nearly 72,000 people temporarily reached the Spanish enclave from Morocco in late July and early August. While most adult migrants were quickly returned, Weber noted that the response to the Ceuta crisis demonstrated the potential for effective collaboration with neighboring states. He stressed the need for a "clear mandate to the Commission" to implement these centers, warning against delays caused by individual member states. Weber also insisted that returns should not be contingent on the political will of single nations.

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that close cooperation with the neighboring states can work

The concept of return centers outside the EU and the outsourcing of asylum procedures have been debated for years and remain highly controversial. These solutions were discussed during an extraordinary video conference of EU interior ministers addressing the Ceuta crisis. Germany is actively pursuing this initiative in a working group with the Netherlands, Austria, Greece, and Denmark.

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a clear mandate to the Commission

Furthermore, Weber called for an expansion of the EU's border protection agency, Frontex. He proposed transforming it into a "true European border protection agency with 50,000 operational staff." Weber also advocated for Frontex to monitor member states' border protection practices, stating that "independent, unannounced controls at Europe's border posts must become standard." He added that if national authorities are unwilling to protect the EU's borders, Frontex should be granted command authority.

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we must not wait any longer for the slowest member state