The president of Ceuta, Juan Jesús Vivas, has claimed this Thursday a greater involvement of the European Union and the "shielding" of its border so that the autonomous city can regain normality after the migratory crisis of last week and prevent a similar situation from happening again.
He has done so electronically during the extraordinary meeting of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) of the European Parliament, convened to analyze the massive entry of migrants recorded in the autonomous city.
The session, driven by the Popular Party, has included the participation of the European Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration, Magnus Brunner, while the Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, and the Minister of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration, Elma Saiz, ultimately did not intervene after declining the invitation.
"One of the most difficult moments in the recent history of Ceuta"
During his speech, Vivas thanked the holding of this extraordinary debate and defined the situation experienced as "one of the most difficult moments in the recent history of Ceuta".
The Ceuta president has maintained that "what happened a week ago is not a typical migratory crisis", but an episode that, in his opinion, "has jeopardized the integrity of Ceuta, Spain, and Europe" in the face of the "precariousness of resources" at European borders.
"The city has not regained normality"
Although he has acknowledged that the majority of the people who entered irregularly have already returned to Morocco and has recalled that, according to data from the Ministry of the Interior, 72,000 people have returned, Vivas has warned that Ceuta is still far from regaining normality.
As he explained, about 6,000 people still remain in the city, while the reception centers for adults and minors continue to be saturated.
The president has also focused on the social impact that the crisis has left among the Ceuta population. "Our population feels sad, powerless, restless, fearful, and worried", he stated.
In this context, he has warned that the situation has evidenced the vulnerability of Ceuta and has pointed out that the security of the city depends, to a large extent, on the actions of "a third country that does not recognize our sovereignty".
Expulsions, more security, and European support
Vivas has argued that regaining normality involves adopting a series of immediate and structural measures.
Among them, she has prioritized the expulsion of Moroccan immigrants who remain in an irregular situation in Ceuta, as well as a permanent response to the migratory pressure derived from the city's condition as the land border of the European Union in Africa.
Likewise, she has demanded to strengthen the personnel and resources of the State Security Forces and Corps and Defense, execute new border protection infrastructures, and increase the involvement of community institutions.
In this regard, she has requested the deployment of Frontex, Europol, and the European Asylum Agency, in addition to new resources to alleviate the collapse that the reception centers are experiencing.
The Ceuta president has also proposed the development of a specific plan to regain confidence in Ceuta's economic future and compensate for the consequences that the crisis has had on the city.
Memory for the victims
At the end of her speech, Vivas wanted to remember the human cost of the migratory crisis and expressed her sorrow for the hundred deceased that, she pointed out, has resulted from the avalanche recorded at the border.
Despite the seriousness of the situation, she has conveyed her confidence in European institutions and has called for greater involvement from the European Union to help Ceuta overcome the crisis and strengthen the protection of the external community border.