Madrid, Aug 3 (IANS) Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares on Monday said that Italy has not lived up to expectations while reacting to the Ceuta migration crisis, noting that Italy is the country with the highest number of irregular entries in Europe, local media reported.
“There have been countries and governments that have not lived up to expectations, as well as politicians and parties, even in Spain,” Albares stated to broadcaster RTVE. “The Italian government was one of them. Here in Spain, I hear irresponsible statements from the Popular Party and Vox,” he continued, Italian News Agency Adnkronos reported.
“As for Italy,” Albares recalled, “it is the country with the highest number of irregular entries in Europe, while Spain has the lowest number. Italy would like to resolve the situation in Lampedusa as the one in Ceuta was resolved,” he stressed further.
Convinced of the “specificity” of the border of both autonomous cities, he demanded unity from all political forces around two Spanish cities, Ceuta and Melilla, and unity from all Europeans around two European cities at the current moment.
“It is the only external land border of the European Union (EU) with Africa. We cannot treat that border as we would any other border city in Europe,” argued the head of Spanish diplomacy, insisting that this also be recognised by Brussels, in view of the meeting of Interior Ministers to be held on Tuesday.
“Strengthen these mechanisms and remind all EU states that without solidarity, there is no Europe,” he emphasised.
Albares also emphasised Morocco’s collaborative attitude from the outset.
“The vast majority of those who entered have already returned to Morocco, and we continue to offer our collaboration so that even the last person who entered can return,” the minister declared in an interview with the program ‘La Hora de la 1’, Adnkronos reported.
According to Albares, what happened in the autonomous city between last Thursday and Friday, when at least 50,000 people from Morocco arrived irregularly, by swimming, is an “unprecedented event,” but equally so is “the repatriation” in 48 hours of those thousands of people, with the “full collaboration” of Morocco.
Asked if the African country is a reliable partner, the minister was categorical: “I stick to the facts. And the facts are that, from the very first moment, Morocco offered its collaboration to try to stop that flow of people and, above all, for them to return immediately.”
–IANS
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