After thousands of immigrants entered the city of Ceuta, an emergency meeting of European Union interior ministers was held. As a result of this meeting, Spain reported that the death toll has risen to 75 people after three more bodies were discovered.
Fernando Grande-Marlaska stated that over 72,000 people entered Ceuta in recent days, about 70,000 of whom have already returned to Morocco. Spain emphasized that despite the scale of the crisis, the Schengen area has not been affected.
The European Commission, which the politician visited, noted that it does not see a direct link between the extraordinary legalization of immigrants in Spain and the migration crisis in Ceuta. The European Commissioner for Migration, Magnus Brunner, assured that the topic did not draw criticism towards Madrid after concluding the ministers' meeting, but admitted that the legalization of approximately one million immigrants 'is not a good sign for Europe.'
The Prime Minister of Portugal criticized the lack of regulation of migration flows in some countries and rejected policies that attract migrants without conditions for their reception. The government stated that Portugal follows the path of integration through access to work, housing, healthcare, education, and mobility.
The Portuguese Ministry of Internal Affairs, in its statement, advocated for a European response based on unity, firmness, and responsibility. Luís Neves also highlighted the need to accelerate the application of the European Pact on Migration and Asylum, as well as strengthen cooperation with countries of origin and transit for migrants.
According to the government, Portugal has already increased surveillance along the southern maritime border but is ready to take new measures if the situation requires it.
Laurent Núñez reported that all member states expressed solidarity and highly appreciated the management of the migration crisis. The French minister also guaranteed that France is ready to assist Spanish authorities.
According to Spanish authorities, almost all detainees are young people and minors, whose families are searching for them since the weekend. Due to the increase in reports of missing persons, the Civil Guard has opened a special office in Ceuta to receive complaints about missing migrants.
