Brussels, 04/10/2005 (Agence Europe) - Franco Frattini told a press conference on Tuesday (see other article) that the Commission was to "send a Monitor Mission to the area around Ceuta and Melilla, within the next few days". This will go "quickly", he said, adding that "this mission will include representatives of the Borders Agency and the European Commission".
This decision comes in the wake of a further mass arrival of illegal immigrants, on Monday, in the Spanish enclave of Melilla, in northern Morocco, at the section of the border which is reputed to be impassable. Of around 650 illegal immigrants from sub-Saharan Africa, some 350 of them succeeded in crossing this barrier, and appear to have done so at a part of this barrier which had been raised from three to six metres in height. 135 of them, and seven agents of the Spanish Civil Guard, sustained injuries. On 29 September, similar incidents led to the deaths of five illegal immigrants at Ceuta (see EUROPE 9038). Speaking to a small group of journalists, Franco Frattini described these events as a "tragedy", adding that the building of such barriers is like "a new Berlin Wall in Europe". Financial support of "40 million EUR is soon to be made available for Morocco to protect its borders and promote better conditions in the country", said Mr Frattini. He said that Europe was "prepared to commit itself very quickly if Morocco takes clear commitments, which is why it is so important that the re-admission agreement is finalised before the end of the year" (see EUROPE 9039).