The European Parliament has backed a resolution calling for the swift return of migrants and tighter border security following the migration crisis in Ceuta. The document was supported by 339 MEPs, with 225 voting against and 16 abstaining. The resolution was backed by groups including the European People’s Party, Renew Europe, ECR, and Patriots.
In Spain, the PP and Vox supported the resolution, while the PSOE, PNV, and other left-wing parties voted against it. The document also calls on Morocco to take responsibility for the situation and fulfill its obligations regarding border control, migrant returns, and migration cooperation.
PP leader in the European Parliament Dolores Montserrat stated that the resolution demands that the government of Pedro Sánchez immediately implement the European Pact on Migration and Asylum, guarantee security, and accelerate the return of adults and minors. She also declared that Spain’s sovereignty and territorial integrity are not up for negotiation.
Criticism of government actions and funding conditions
The resolution describes the events in Ceuta not only as a migration crisis but as an “instrumentalization of irregular migration flows” against the territorial integrity of a member state and the external border of the European Union. The document also labels the use of irregular migration as a tool of “hybrid warfare”.
The text of the resolution notes that local authorities, as well as security and intelligence services, repeatedly warned the Sánchez government about the situation ahead of the crisis. It also mentions the unanimous call from the Assembly of Ceuta to close the border, declare a state of emergency, convene the National Security Council, appoint a single coordinating body, and deploy the armed forces. According to the resolution, the Spanish government ignored these demands.
The document also refers to the position of 22 heads of state and government, who linked the crisis to the mass legalization of over a million irregular migrants carried out by the Spanish government. Furthermore, the resolution notes that Spain officially requested support from Frontex, Europol, and the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA) only on August 28—nearly a month after the crisis began. Official European Parliament materials confirm the date of this request.
The resolution also includes provisions for creating a “stricter and more transparent” system for granting and monitoring European funds for third countries. The document provides for mechanisms for the “immediate suspension and full recovery of European funds” in cases where the recipient country does not cooperate or where the interests of the EU or one of its member states are threatened.
Vox representative in the European Parliament Jorge Buxadé stated that his party also secured the possibility of suspending European funding in the event of a lack of cooperation from a third country.
Previously, Vox announced its intention to demand the creation of a special committee to investigate the events in Ceuta. Meanwhile, sources within the PSOE stated that the party does not support such an investigation because, according to them, similar situations in the past were not subject to such inquiries.
Source: 20minutos
