Brussels, Aug 4 (IANS) European Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration, Magnus Brunner, on Tuesday confirmed that the Ceuta migration crisis is now “resolved”, local media reported.
“Spain confirmed today, as previously stated, that practically all those who entered Ceuta have now returned. No one has crossed the border from Ceuta to mainland Spain and continental Europe,” stated the European Commissioner at a press conference in Brussels at the end of the informal videoconference of the Council of Interior Ministers, Italian News Agency Adnkronos reported.
He also mentioned that there were no “criticisms” regarding the massive regularisations of migrants decided by Spain, also because “we do not currently see a direct link between the regularisations and the events in Ceuta.”
“Regularisations are not a good signal for the rest of Europe, absolutely not. I understand that it is a national competence and that they were done because they mainly concern Latin Americans, who speak the same language and share the same culture, but the message for the rest of Europe is not positive. Absolutely not,” said Brunner.
He also said that the integrity of the Schengen area has been preserved and it is the result of close and constant cooperation between Spain, Morocco, and the Commission in recent days. “I also wish to clearly acknowledge and thank Spain and the administration of Ceuta for restoring order and for the close collaboration with Morocco, to ensure a rapid return to normality.”
Brunner states that the creation of hubs for repatriations in safe third countries is “legitimate” for countries wishing to pursue it, but it would also be necessary to focus on the possibility of carrying out asylum procedures outside EU territory.
Repatriation centres, the European Commissioner said, have been mentioned by some Member States, particularly by those who are setting them up or who are preparing negotiations with third countries regarding these centres. “The Italy-Albania project is different. It is an Italian project. But 5 or 6 Member States are collaborating to discuss repatriation centres with third countries,” he said.
“I wanted to emphasise that, yes, let’s focus on repatriation hubs; it is legitimate, and it is the task of the Member States who wish to do so, but let’s also focus on the concept of a safe third country. Which means that the asylum procedure can actually be carried out outside the European Union, where the concept of a safe third country allows it. Both things- repatriation hubs, but also asylum procedures outside the European Union have been mentioned by some Member States,” he concluded.
–IANS
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