Madrid, August 3: Spain’s Foreign Minister, José Manuel Albares, stated on Monday that Italy has not met expectations regarding the Ceuta migration crisis. He noted that Italy is the primary entry point for migrants arriving illegally in Europe.
Albares expressed his concerns in an interview with the state broadcaster RTVE, highlighting that some countries and political leaders have failed to deliver on their commitments, including the Italian government. He also mentioned irresponsible comments from Spain’s Popular Party and Vox.
He remarked, “Italy is the country in Europe with the highest number of illegal entries, while Spain has the least. Italy wants the situation in Lampedusa to be managed similarly to how Ceuta was handled.”
Albares emphasized that the border situations in Ceuta and Melilla are distinct. He urged all political parties in Spain to unite on these issues and called for support from across Europe for both cities.
“This is the European Union’s (EU) only external land border with Africa. We cannot treat this border as if it were a typical border of any European city,” he stated.
The top Spanish diplomat stressed that Brussels must understand this unique situation, especially ahead of the upcoming EU interior ministers’ meeting on Tuesday.
He added, “These arrangements need to be strengthened, reminding all EU countries that Europe cannot exist without unity.”
Albares also noted that Morocco has been cooperative from the start. “Most of the individuals who arrived here have already returned to Morocco. We are continuously collaborating to ensure that everyone who came here can go back,” he said.
According to reports from Edincronos, during a discussion on the program ‘La Hora de la 1’, Albares mentioned that the events in Ceuta last Thursday and Friday were unprecedented, with around 50,000 people swimming from Morocco to Spain illegally.
He highlighted the extraordinary fact that those thousands of individuals were completely returned to Morocco within just 48 hours, thanks to cooperation from Moroccan authorities.
When asked if Morocco is a reliable partner, he responded clearly, “I speak only of facts, and the fact is that Morocco has cooperated fully in stopping this large influx of people and returning them immediately.”
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