Brussels, 21/02/2014 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 20 February, Spanish Home Affairs Minister Jorge Fernandez Diaz called on the European Union to “show solidarity” following the death by drowning on 6 February of 15 illegal migrants near to Ceuta, the Spanish enclave in northern Morocco.
“The European Union must show solidarity with us” and “it must be stated very clearly that it must act” under the “principles of shared responsibility and solidarity”, said Fernandez Diaz at a press conference with his French, Moroccan and Portuguese counterparts of the G4 meeting in Paris on Thursday, AFP reports. “This is a major human tragedy”, the minister added. Fernandez Diaz said that he was “firmly in favour of transparency”, that he had “nothing to hide” and called on his audience to wait for the legal enquiry opened into this drama to be concluded.
Under fire from criticism, including that of European Home Affairs Commissioner Cecilia Malmström, whom he has had to send explanations, Fernandez Diaz once again defended the Spanish police forces. “We want to make our borders watertight”, he said, adding “These people have the legitimate right to aspire to a better life, but we have a limited capacity to welcome them”. (SP/transl.fl)