Spanish PM Criticizes Selfish Attitude of Some EU Countries over Ceuta Crisis

By Staff, Agencies 

The Spanish prime minister, Pedro Sanchez, has hit back at some EU countries for what he described as their “selfish, polarising and illegal reaction” to the mass border crossings at Ceuta, as he thanked Morocco for its help in dealing with the crisis.

In a letter to Brussels, he said several European states have chosen to “attack” Spain and request its temporary exclusion from the Schengen area, driven by “prejudice, fake news, ignorance, or political interests” that is contrary to European law, humanitarian law and the principles of EU solidarity, the Spanish El Pais newspaper reported.

Sanchez argued that in less than 48 hours, his government managed to “fully restore control of the border, provide extensive humanitarian assistance, return virtually all migrants who crossed irregularly and prevent any unauthorized movement towards continental Europe”.
“All of this has been achieved in close coordination with the Moroccan authorities and with very little support from other European states,” he added.

He called for an emergency meeting of EU interior ministers “as a matter of urgency”.

El Pais reported Ceuta is “gradually returning to normal” this morning, with shops reopening, traffic moving freely and fuel supplies restored after days of disruption. While small groups of young people remained in parts of the city, the large crowds seen earlier this week had largely dispersed.