EU Migration Commissioner Magnus Brunner has warned that the bloc is vulnerable to uncoordinated migration if it relies on the goodwill of neighbouring countries to secure its borders, writes “Politico.”
Brunner’s remarks were made at an extraordinary meeting of the European Parliament’s Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) Committee. A week ago, a large number of migrants from Morocco entered the Spanish territory of Ceuta in North Africa, reigniting discussions about how the EU should strengthen its external borders. Brunner said that what happened in Ceuta is a test of the bloc’s resilience, and also of the security of its external borders. He added that it is certainly necessary to cooperate with neighbours, but as long as control depends on the goodwill of neighbouring countries, the EU is vulnerable.
Brunner described what happened in Ceuta at the end of July as clear evidence that a strong and effective tool, and even a variety of tools, is needed to combat people smugglers.
The meeting was also attended by the mayor of Ceuta, Juan Jesús Vivas, who said that around 100 people had died during the mass border crossing and that 3,000-5,000 migrants were still on Spanish territory.
Brunner said that the EU should use all possible levers to achieve cooperation
with countries that share a border with the bloc. He pointed out that it was important to strengthen cooperation with partners and to expand efforts in migration diplomacy to root out illegal migration, achieve the safe return of migrants and create the right opportunities in their countries of origin. Cooperation with countries outside the EU was particularly important, as the aim was to ensure that situations like those in Ceuta did not happen again.
The conservative Austrian commissioner’s party colleague, Austrian Integration Minister Claudia Bauer, warned in a written statement on the 6th of August that another mass border crossing attempt could take place in Ceuta on the 15th of August. She cited Spanish media and said that, given reports of other possible border crossing attempts, Spain must immediately significantly strengthen border protection in its territories in Africa and ensure that it can withstand pressure.
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