Politico: EU demands data from Spain on the number of migrants who returned to Morocco

On August 3, EU ambassadors demanded that Spain provide confirmation of its statements about the number of migrants who have already returned to Morocco.

As the publication Politico reports, citing diplomats, the conversation was marked by moments of tension.

According to the sources, Madrid spoke in a "somewhat harsh" tone, criticizing the reaction of other EU capitals to the migration crisis. At the same time, some countries believe that Spain, through its policy, itself encouraged the arrival of migrants, another EU representative pointed out. The August 4 video conference of interior ministers will give the ministers their first opportunity to jointly examine what happened in Ceuta and will focus on what lessons the EU should learn, another European diplomat told Politico.

At the end of July, tens of thousands of illegal migrants were able to reach the Spanish autonomous city of Ceuta by swimming, as well as on foot, going around the breakwater that separates the city from Morocco. According to official data from the Moroccan Interior Ministry, 11 people died while crossing the border with the autonomous city, and the number of illegal migrants who managed to enter Ceuta was about 40,000. According to information from the Spanish government, at least 72 people died trying to reach the territory of Ceuta.

As the Europa Press agency reported, citing the head of the city government Juan Jesús Vivas, between 3,000 and 5,000 migrants may still remain in Ceuta after the mass influx of illegal migrants.

Source: TASS