The Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares, is scheduled to travel this Tuesday to Brussels to hold a meeting with the Commissioner for Home Affairs, Magnus Brunner, and with the Commissioner for the Mediterranean, Dubravka Suica. The visit will coincide with the community agenda of the President of Ceuta, Juan Jesús Vivas, while the European Commission continues to examine the request from the Spanish Government to "strengthen Frontex support and receive emergency funds following the irregular entry of thousands of migrants from Morocco on July 30 and 31."
According to the community agenda, Brunner will meet with the Ceuta president early in the afternoon, who in the morning will hold several meetings at the European Parliament headquarters, including with the President of the Eurochamber, the conservative Roberta Metsola, and with the President of the European People's Party (EPP), the German Manfred Weber. Subsequently, around 18:00 hours, it will be time for the meeting between the Commissioner and Albares.
Community sources have confirmed Albares' appointments with the European Commissioners, but insist on dissociating these contacts from the announcement made recently by the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, regarding his intention to request the incorporation of Ceuta and Melilla into the Customs Union and their consideration as outermost regions.
Sánchez "advanced these initiatives last week although, in the absence of concrete proposals, Brussels has so far avoided assessing such a scenario, while warning of the complexity of the processes, which would even involve the need to reform the Treaties."
In any case, the European Commission maintains, through Brunner and Suica, a constant dialogue with the Spanish and Moroccan authorities to try to unlock the migration crisis in Ceuta and accelerate the return of those irregular migrants who do not meet the requirements to obtain international protection and remain in community territory.
Following Spain's request for emergency funds and a reinforcement of Frontex and the EU Asylum Agency's resources, "Brunner spoke last Thursday by phone with the Minister of Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, to promote the necessary technical contacts for the aid request to materialize."
In this context, Brussels intends to know "on the ground" the real needs and define the most effective way to articulate support. In that conversation, Brunner and Marlaska agreed that "this same week a mission of community experts would be deployed in Ceuta to assess the situation."
Furthermore, "a second technical delegation will also travel this week to Madrid to advance in the dialogue, the consulted sources have pointed out, emphasizing the importance of technical dialogue to 'understand' the needs and know the progress in controlling the situation."