The European Union has begun processing the request made by Spain to have the support of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) and Europol in the triage of migrants in irregular situations in Ceuta; a scenario that continues to be "complex," as described by the European Commissioner for Migration, Magnus Brunner, who nonetheless has positively assessed "the additional measures" implemented by the Spanish government.
According to the statement released by the Ministry of the Interior, the request was conveyed by the head of the department, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, to the Director General of Migration and Home Affairs of the European Commission, Beate Gminder.
Grande-Marlaska's letter responded to another letter that Gminder herself sent on August 21 to the Spanish ambassador to the European Union, Marcos Alonso, in which she offered the support of several community agencies in light of the migration crisis recorded in Ceuta on July 30 and 31.
In response to that offer, the Minister of the Interior has asked Gminder for Frontex, Europol, and the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA) to "reinforce the device set up to address the management of the triage and subsequent processing of the personal files of the immigrant individuals who still remain in Ceuta irregularly."
Subsequently, through a message on social media, Brunner confirmed that the Commission has received the request for additional support made by Spain, which includes Frontex, Europol, and the European Union Asylum Agency (EUAA). "We are already working on the request and will make a decision swiftly," the European Commissioner stated.
Brunner also expressed the European Union's recognition of "the additional measures" adopted by Spain in recent days to address a situation that, in his words, "continues to be complex."
In any case, he reiterated that the priority for the community institutions remains "to ensure the prompt return of all individuals who remain in irregular situations in Ceuta," as he emphasized in his message.