Nauseda called on the EU to strengthen border security amid the migration crisis
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda stated that the European Union cannot afford to have “porous borders” amid the escalating migration crisis in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta. He emphasized that he would advocate for the development of a stricter and more clearly defined EU migration policy.
According to the Lithuanian president, during European Council meetings, he will insist on the need for an effective migration policy and the strengthening of the EU’s external borders.
“In fact, this should not be the case, and we certainly cannot afford to have porous borders in every sense of the word. This concerns both national security and relations with aggressive neighbors, as well as migration. In this regard, Lithuania serves as an example of a country that secures its borders; although we have also experienced significant tensions in recent years, we have managed to cope with them,” Nausėda stated.
The Lithuanian president believes that the situation in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta is negatively affecting the internal stability of the European Union.
In his view, the migration crisis calls into question the effectiveness of the Schengen Area and could lead to the emergence of new internal barriers and borders between member states.
“The EU is, in my view, something that must be very well protected from the outside and, at the same time, have no barriers or internal borders within the Union,” Nausėda emphasized.
The Lithuanian leader also stressed that the European Union must act in accordance with the current security and migration situation, rather than relying on approaches used during the 2016–2017 migration crisis.
According to him, today’s challenges require updated border protection mechanisms and a more effective common EU migration policy.
This was reported by LRT.
Spain has stepped up security in the North African enclave of Ceuta following a mass border breach by migrants from Morocco. According to local authorities, thousands of people illegally crossed the border by sea and land, causing temporary accommodation centers to become overcrowded. Military units were deployed to the region to stabilize the situation.
Meanwhile, Italy is considering suspending the Schengen Agreement with Spain following a large-scale migrant breach into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta. Following the incident, Giorgia Meloni’s government announced its readiness to implement emergency measures to strengthen border security.
Earlier, the Spanish city of Ceuta had declared a state of emergency due to the influx of migrants.
