The migration issue will be on the agenda of the June European summit, European Council President Charles Michel confirmed on Tuesday 25 May, after several leaders had expressed a request to that effect the day before at the dinner of the European Union’s heads of state or government.
The Italian Prime Minister, Mario Draghi, and the Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, discussed the situation in their countries with their counterparts.
The Spaniard gave an “information report” on Monday evening to his colleagues about Ceuta, the President of the European Council said on Monday, and the “full solidarity of the EU with the Spanish government” was highlighted. The EU27 did not however open a specific discussion on migration on this occasion, but will do so in June, said Charles Michel.
“I have raised this issue, which has been off the European Council agenda for a long time”, confirmed Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi on Tuesday 25 May. “Putting a problem on the back burner does not make it go away”. As regards Germany and France and other countries, there is a certain awareness that a united response is needed, the Prime Minister said. Asked about the need to return to binding mechanisms, he said that “pure good will [to deal with migration issues - ed.] has proven to be rather ineffective. The agreement we are aiming for need not necessarily contain obligations. Or we could identify countries to provide mutual assistance”. “We have to take the matter in hand, it has been neglected in recent months”.
“The disagreements on the migration package still run deep”, commented French President Emmanuel Macron, adding that it had been agreed on Monday to discuss in June the external aspect of migration and a “very coordinated policy on the Libyan issue”.
On his arrival in Brussels on Monday, Pedro Sánchez returned to the exceptional influx of migrants into the enclave of Ceuta and the “unprecedented crisis” between Spain and Morocco. “Neighbourly relations between Spain and Morocco should be based on trust and respect. Respect for the EU’s borders, for Spain’s borders. We remind Morocco that it has no better ally in the EU than Spain to defend Morocco’s strategic interests. The Spain-Morocco relationship is strategic”, he said.
In turn, on Tuesday 25 May, he explained to the press that it was a matter of respecting “the territorial integrity of our country” and that Morocco must “monitor its borders”.
“We believe that the European Council, but also all the other EU institutions, cannot look the other way when it comes to our borders”, was the reaction of European Parliament President David Sassoli on 25 May.
“We need to find pragmatic, concrete solutions. Every day we hear of tragedies, deaths, and shipwrecks in the Mediterranean. We need to be realistic and deal with this problem quickly. We hope that the next European Council will address this issue in depth”. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic with editorial staff)