EU Commission spokesperson Markus Lammert gave an update at a daily press briefing on irregular migration activity in Ceuta, Spain’s territory in North Africa. Lammert said new attempts to cross the border irregularly had been blocked through cooperation between Spanish and Moroccan authorities, and that border security had been maintained.
According to Lammert, the priority is for Spanish and Moroccan authorities to keep the situation under control and ensure the swift return of those unlawfully present in Ceuta. Several thousand irregular migrants are still said to be in the area, while the EU Commission said it had no estimate of its own for the number and was using data from central and local authorities and other actors on the ground.
Cooperation between Spain and Morocco
Lammert said over the weekend that cooperation between Spain and Morocco had produced results. He said work was also being carried out with social media platforms and fact-checking organizations to prevent irregular migration and strengthen deterrence.
Lammert said efforts were under way to counter disinformation spread by migrant-smuggling networks and that some accounts linked to smuggling had been shut down. A technical delegation sent by the EU Commission to Ceuta last week also assessed needs on the ground and additional support the bloc could provide.
Lammert said the technical delegation had contacted central and local authorities as well as various actors on the ground, and reiterated that the Commission had not provided an independent estimate of the number of irregular migrants in Ceuta.
Returns and unaccompanied children
The EU Commission welcomed the decision by Spanish authorities to increase reception capacity in response to the humanitarian situation of irregular migrants. It also noted statements by Moroccan authorities that they were ready to take back people who had reached Ceuta irregularly, including unaccompanied children.
Lammert recalled statements by Spain’s interior and foreign ministers that no one unlawfully remaining in Ceuta would be sent to mainland Spain. The EU Commission spokesperson said the expectation that everyone unlawfully remaining in Ceuta would be returned remained in place and that developments would be closely monitored.
The press briefing also addressed whether unaccompanied children would be returned to Morocco and how special protection provisions for them would be applied. Lammert said EU legislation contained provisions concerning the return of unaccompanied children in an irregular situation. He said Spain and Morocco were being encouraged to work together to ensure the process was carried out effectively.
Additional EU support for Spain
Lammert said the EU was ready to provide Spain with financial support, including for border infrastructure. He said additional operational support could also be provided through Frontex, Europol and the EU Asylum Agency.
Lammert said informal contacts on providing additional financial assistance to Spain were continuing, and stated that Spanish authorities needed to submit an official request for the support to be activated.
Debate over return centres
Debate continues in the EU over sending irregular migrants to return centres planned in third countries outside the bloc. The EU Commission had previously said it was not involved in talks involving Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark and Greece on establishing a return centre in Uganda.
Commission spokespersons said they were not aware of a concrete and completed proposal to establish a return centre in a specific country. They said such a proposal would be assessed if a sufficiently developed one were submitted.
Activity in Ceuta
More than 800 irregular migrants attempting to swim from the coast of Castillejos, Morocco, to Ceuta had been intercepted. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said after the incident that the government had mobilized all its resources.
Following the increase in irregular migration attempts toward Ceuta, the Spanish government had decided to deploy the armed forces to the area to ensure security.
