On Saturday, the MEP announced this on his Facebook page in response to the migrant crisis, when earlier this week 50–60 thousand migrants stormed the Spanish enclave of Ceuta.
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“Lithuania’s interest in this story is primarily a great diplomatic opportunity to emphasize our common interest in investing in EU border protection, from Helsinki to Lisbon. Especially with the hope of finally convincing Spain and strengthening its contribution to a common European defense policy,” said the politician.
According to him, the deployed military forces, the designation of migrants as a threat to Spain’s territorial integrity, and the prompt return of over 80% of illegal migrants to Morocco clearly show “an adequate Spanish approach to the situation.”
V. Sinkevičius also criticized the fact that the Spanish Prime Minister “was forced to pay attention to misleading comments from representatives of some countries,” without specifically naming these representatives.
“We should not support such behavior – not only at the international level but also here in Lithuania, because it is too easy to harm oneself completely pointlessly out of contempt,” said the politician.
As BNS wrote, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez criticized calls from some EU leaders to suspend Spain’s membership in the Schengen area, calling it a consequence of “fake news, ignorance, or political interests.”
He reacted to Italy’s determination to suspend the validity of the Schengen Agreement with Spain for one month and the call to remove this country from the Schengen visa-free travel zone.
Finland supported this call from Italy, and Denmark stated that the Union should consider such a step. Meanwhile, France indicated it would not seek Spain’s removal from the Schengen Agreement but would strengthen control of the southern border.
In turn, Spain strongly condemned Italy’s “demagoguery” and protested to its ambassador in Madrid.
V. Sinkevičius urged to look at Lithuania-friendly countries with respect and compassion so that Lithuania could expect the same.
“Solidarity should primarily be directed at ordinary people, even if some of Spain’s decisions, for example, a rather sluggish approach to defense policy, are inconvenient for us,” the politician noted.
BNS reported that with the number of deaths during the migrant incursion rising to 67, Spain announced on Saturday that it would install a 500-meter-long protective barrier at the sea border between Ceuta and Morocco.
Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska called Morocco a “reliable partner,” denying that the country poses a threat to Ceuta or the rest of Spain.
P. Sánchez blamed human traffickers for the crisis, who spread rumors about the Supreme Court decision made last month that illegal migrants arriving by sea cannot be immediately returned.
The 18.5 sq km territory of Ceuta and the nearby Melilla exclave are the only two European land borders with Africa.
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