• Live Spain has so far returned 2,700 immigrants to Morocco

  • Keys Morocco punishes Spanish support for the Sahara with a record wave of migration

  • Diplomatic crisis Spain deploys the Army on the border with Morocco in the face of the endless wave of immigrants

"The Spanish border of

Ceuta

is a European border. Full solidarity with Spain." The message of the Community Commissioner for the Promotion of European Life, the Greek

Margaritis Schinas

, written in Spanish, is a clear and forceful message. "We now need the European Migration Policy Pact: agreements with third countries; robust protection of our borders; solidarity between member states and a legal migration policy," Schinas added this afternoon on his Twitter account. The underlying situation, however, is much more complicated.

"Let me conclude by talking about the unprecedented irregular arrivals to the city of Ceuta from Morocco that have taken place since yesterday and that continue as we speak. It is worrying that at least 6,000 people, many of them children, have come swimming to Ceuta laying their lives in danger. Many had to be rescued and one person died. The most important thing now is that

Morocco

remain committed to avoid irregular departures and that those who do not have the right to stay are returned in an orderly and effective manner. Spanish borders are European borders. The European Union wants to build a relationship with Morocco based on trust and shared commitments. Migration is a key element in this regard. I am following what is happening very closely together with the High Representative Josep Borrell and of course, with the Spanish authorities ", said this morning the Swedish Ylva Johansson, Commissioner for the Interior, in an intervention before the plenary session of the European Parliament.

Schinas is Greek and Johansson is Swedish. Schinas, former MEP and former spokesperson for the Commission itself, is the best knowledgeable about Spain in the house, he is married to a Spanish woman, he is from the Popular Party and in recent months he has had a more than committed role in the migration issue in everything what affects the waters of your country. His position, in that sense, is much more political if possible, and more personal. And more blunt. Johansson, on the other hand, comes from a country that was hit hard by the arrivals of asylum seekers in 2015 and 2016, but in second waves, never directly. Your country's position is different, and your priorities are different. That also partly explains why his words are somewhat less forceful, that they cover the general situation more.They focus on the people who have come to Ceuta and their well-being and appeal directly to Morocco, but with an almost

more institutional than political.

Defense of external borders

For five years the priority of the member states, in migration matters, has been the defense of external borders, and for this reason solidarity with Spain is to be expected.

But for five years too, a

good part of the 27 have been washing their hands on these issues

, and in the same way that the aid to Greece, Italy and Malta has been scarce, precarious, not many expect a drastic change in Brussels and Madrid attitude now that Spain is back on the front line.

In the community capital, the number of arrivals on Monday is of great concern, more than the fact itself. So far the main concern has been the eastern Mediterranean and the situation was addressed with a multi-million dollar agreement with Turkey, buying with money the collaboration of Recep Tayyip Erdogan. But the arrival of a few dozen people is not the same as 6,000 at once, something that can cause a situation like the one in 2015, which shook the continent.

In Brussels, jumping over the fence has always been on the radar, and the previous commissioners were very critical of Spain, as it has always placed more emphasis on treatment, hot returns or the use of concertinas.

But with numbers like the ones that are majean now,

the dimension, scope

and force of a global response completely change.

Or should I force it.

In Brussels and many other capitals, the agreements that Spain has with a good part of the North African countries with access to the sea, but the EU does not yet have agreements similar to that of Turkey.

He contributes money, directly or indirectly, and listens to requests from Spain at times, but he does not have a direct negotiation.

And that is very noticeable in the management of this crisis.

In March 2020, when the pandemic was already noticeable on the continent and especially in Italy, the presidents of the three European institutions, the Commission, the Council and the Parliament, came to Athens to support the Hellenic Government after the Ankara decision of not only neglecting the surveillance of its beaches and ports, allowing the exits that until then it prevented, but also pushing literally thousands of asylum seekers to cross over land into Greek territory. "Thank you for being our shield", said then Ursula Von der Leyen, David Sassoli and Charles Michel. "Today, from here, we want to send a message, a signal, of solidarity and support to Greece. The first priority of the EU is to maintain order on the Greek border, which is the European border.

We are committed to mobilizing all the necessary support

", said then the German.

On that occasion, it was Prime Minister Mitsotakis who requested the presence and help of the institutional leaders.

Spain, for the moment, no.

The Foreign Ministry has mobilized and coordinated public messages, tweets of support, and signals of support with the commissars' cabinets.

But, according to diplomatic sources,

Madrid has not yet decided on the next steps

, and it seems unlikely that it wants a staging like the one in 2020 on the Hellenic islands.

The practices implemented there, including those that affect Frontex, the European agency that already operates in the Canary Islands, have been enormously criticized, and there is an important part of the Pedro Sánchez Executive that has repeatedly spoken out against it.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

Know more

  • Spain

  • Morocco

  • Ceuta

  • European Union

Wide Angle Morocco increases diplomatic belligerence to cling to Sahara

Interior Marlaska opposed the transfer to Spain of the leader of the Polisario Front

Immigration Rescued more than 100 people who tried to swim in Ceuta during the weekend

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