„Without strong external borders of the European Union, there will be no safe Europe. We cannot afford to only react to crises – otherwise illegal migration may become uncontrollable. We must act in advance by strengthening the protection of external borders, preventing illegal migration, combating migrant smuggling and disinformation,“ he said.
Last week, about 50–70 thousand people arrived at the Spanish enclave of Ceuta on the northern coast of Africa, during which at least 72 of them died.
According to the Lithuanian Minister of the Interior, Spain stated during the meeting that the situation is under control, and most migrants have already returned to Morocco.
„There remain perhaps a thousand or more who are still in that territory,“ said M. Katelynas.
The influx of migrants caused great tension among the 27 Community members. Both Italy and Denmark last week called for Spain to be removed from the Schengen free movement area due to the Ceuta crisis – an idea Madrid strongly rejected, and according to EU rules, it is legally impossible in any case.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez blamed human traffickers for the influx, who spread rumors about the Supreme Court decision made last month that illegal migrants arriving by sea cannot be immediately returned.
According to the minister, after Madrid restored control, the tension eased somewhat, but, he said, member states „should not make such decisions in domestic politics that would become a pull factor for migrants to come and expect to be able to stay in that country“.
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According to M. Katelynas, there are no ideas to limit free movement because no migrant has entered the mainland part.
„There is no need for control in this place, moreover, Schengen is a value, (…) every restoration of internal border control is a defeat against instrumentalized migration. It is like a last resort, but it must always be on the table,“ he insisted.
The minister also said he assured colleagues that Lithuania is ready to share its experience.
„I suggested that we can share the knowledge we have accumulated, which our officers gathered during the crisis five years ago. We have not received any request from Spain to send officers, currently the military has been deployed to (Ceuta – BNS) to restore order,“ he explained.
The Ministry of the Interior’s statement indicates that Lithuania also urged the Community to strengthen the capacities of „Frontex“ and „Europol“, to form a common understanding of hybrid threats across the EU, to accordingly plan funding priorities, and to increase Europe’s capabilities to combat disinformation, propaganda, and information manipulation carried out by foreign states.
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