Von der Leyen praised Sánchez for his response to the influx of migrants into Ceuta
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen praised the actions of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez during the influx of migrants into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta.
According to “European Truth,” citing Euractiv, in a letter to Sánchez dated August 3, von der Leyen stated that the Spanish and Moroccan authorities had effectively handled the situation. According to her, this helped prevent the illegal entry of migrants into mainland Spain and Europe.
The European Commission President also noted that Spain’s actions played a crucial role in preventing the situation from deteriorating further and in averting the loss of even more lives. The letter was a response to a statement by the Spanish prime minister, in which he criticized the bias and selfishness of other European leaders.
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Von der Leyen believes that the incident highlighted the need to strengthen the EU’s migration policy. She outlined five areas of focus: closer cooperation with local authorities, strengthening external borders, establishing early-warning systems, dismantling smuggling networks, and expediting the deportation of migrants.
According to the European Commission president, the number of irregular arrivals in Europe has decreased by 55% over the past two years and by 37% since the beginning of this year. Spanish authorities estimate that tens of thousands of migrants entered Ceuta illegally in the last days of July. On July 31, Spanish authorities reported that most of them had already been returned to Morocco.
