The president of the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, Juan Jesús Vivas, traveled to Brussels on Tuesday, September 8, to call on the European Union for help in securing the enclave’s territorial integrity following the mass arrival of 70,000 people from Morocco in late July.
More than a month after this “invasion,” the situation in the North African enclave remains tense, Juan Jesús Vivas, a representative of the People’s Party, told reporters. He described Ceuta as “a pressure cooker that could explode at any moment.”
“This situation is not sustainable. We can no longer cope with this. We are at the limit of our capabilities, on the edge of the abyss, of collapse,” Juan Jesús Vivas said.
He called for a “clear and unambiguous” recognition of the land borders of Ceuta and Melilla as European borders and for them to be upheld. Juan Jesús Vivas also stated that Ceuta will request a “permanent European presence” in the enclave, specifically through Frontex, the agency responsible for guarding the EU’s external borders.
Accusations against Morocco and investigation
Juan Jesús Vivas also accused Morocco of involvement in the mass influx of people through “action or inaction.” He questioned the possibility that Moroccan authorities were unaware of the mobilization of 80,000–100,000 people.
According to Juan Jesús Vivas, Morocco used “migratory pressure to jeopardize the territorial integrity of Ceuta, Spain, and Europe.” He urged Europe to provide a “decisive response” to Morocco and emphasized that successful cooperation policy must be based on mutual respect, primarily for borders.
Meanwhile, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez told lawmakers last Thursday that he had “no evidence” of Morocco‘s involvement in the sudden influx of migrants.
On Monday, the Spanish judicial system officially launched an investigation into the entry of tens of thousands of migrants into the enclave in late July. The investigation noted, in particular, signs of “undeniable facilitation” of this process by Morocco.
Juan Jesús Vivas is also asking European institutions for financial aid to facilitate the permanent return of all people who entered Ceuta in late July and to strengthen the enclave’s infrastructure.
Negotiations in Brussels
In Brussels, Juan Jesús Vivas is scheduled to meet with European Commissioner for Home Affairs Magnus Brunner and European Commissioner for Democracy and Demography Dubravka Šuica.
These European Commission representatives will also meet with Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs José Manuel Albares to discuss the situation on the ground, a European Commission spokesperson said.
Although most migrants left the enclave shortly after arriving, several thousand people remain—about 5,000 according to the central government, or up to 10,000 according to local authorities.
Source: BFMTV
