Spain requests emergency EU funding over migration situation in Ceuta

Spain formally requested emergency EU funding to address the migration situation in its North African enclave of Ceuta, the European Commission said Tuesday.

“We have now, namely yesterday, received a formal request for emergency funding, and we are now working on assessing their request as a priority and with a view to taking a swift decision,” commission spokesman Markus Lammert told a daily news briefing in Brussels.

Lammert said the commission was closely monitoring the situation and remained “fully engaged at all levels” to ensure the security of the EU’s external borders.

He said the situation differed from that seen at the beginning of August, noting that new attempts to enter Ceuta had been successfully prevented through cooperation between Spanish and Moroccan authorities.

“However, important challenges remain and must be tackled urgently,” Lammert said, pointing in particular to several thousand people still present in Ceuta.

“The priority remains to ensure the swift return of all those who remain illegally in Ceuta,” he added.

The commission welcomed Spain’s steps to strengthen coordination in response to the situation and said it remained ready to provide further EU support, including assistance from EU agencies.

Asked about temporary border controls introduced by Italy and Spain, Lammert said the commission had received Schengen notifications from both countries.

The notifications are temporary and will remain in effect until early September, he said, adding that the commission was in contact with both member states.

Around 72,000 people irregularly crossed from Morocco into Ceuta on July 30-31, according to the Spanish government’s official estimate.

The unprecedented influx briefly brought a number of migrants almost equivalent to the enclave’s population.

The crisis triggered sharp criticism of Madrid from other European governments. A group of 22 EU countries signed an open letter saying Spain’s relatively open migration policies acted as a “pull factor.”