EU Interior Ministers Discuss Ceuta Crisis: New Toughening of Migration Policies

European Union (EU) Interior Ministers held an extraordinary meeting following a mass migration attempt to Ceuta, Spain's territory in North Africa. The meeting discussed border security, the establishment of migrant centers in third countries, and stricter measures against countries that do not cooperate on the return of irregular migrants. Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska stated that the discussions were "constructive" and that about 70,000 of the approximately 72,000 irregular migrants who entered Ceuta have left the region. Grande-Marlaska recalled that Ceuta is not part of the Schengen Area and said that the events did not put the Schengen system at risk.Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi proposed the creation of joint EU migrant facilities outside the EU, citing the example of migrant centers established in Albania. Piantedosi suggested that asylum applications be evaluated outside EU borders and that return procedures to safe third countries be carried out with new models, arguing that this would be the "strongest deterrent" against human trafficking and irregular migration.