“The Spanish border of Ceuta is a European border. Full solidarity with Spain”. The message of the community commissioner for the Promotion of European Life, the Greek Margaritis Schinas, written in Spanish, is a clear and forceful message. “We now need the European migration policy Pact: agreements with third countries; robust protection of our borders; solidarity between member states and a legal migration policy,” Schinas added this afternoon on his Twitter account.

“All our support and solidarity with Spain. The borders of Spain are the borders of the European Union. Cooperation, trust and shared commitments should be the principles for a strong relationship between the EU and Morocco”, said the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, this afternoon after speaking by phone with the Spanish President, Pedro Sánchez, to address the situation from Ceuta. The background situation, however, is much more complicated.

“Let me conclude by talking about the unprecedented irregular arrivals into the city of Ceuta from Morocco that have been taking place since yesterday and are continuing as we speak.. It is worrying that at least 6,000 people, many of them children, have swum to Ceuta, putting their lives in danger. Many had to be rescued and one person died. The most important thing now is that Morocco remains committed to avoiding irregular departures and that those who do not have the right to stay are returned in an orderly and effective manner.. Spanish borders are European borders. The European Union wants to build a relationship with Morocco based on trust and shared commitments. Migration is a key element in this regard. I am following what is happening very closely together with the High Representative Josep Borrell and, of course, with the Spanish authorities”, indicated this morning the Swedish Ylva Johansson, Commissioner for the Interior, in a speech before the plenary session of the European Parliament.

Schinas is Greek and Johansson is Swedish.. Schinas, a former MEP and former spokesperson for the Commission itself, is the best connoisseur of Spain in the house, he is married to a Spanish woman, he is from the Popular Party and in recent months he has had a more than committed role in the immigration issue throughout what affects the waters of your country. His position, in that sense, is much more political, if possible, and more personal.. and more blunt. Johansson, on the other hand, comes from a country that was greatly affected by the arrival of asylum seekers in 2015 and 2016, but in second waves, never directly.. Your country's position is different, and your priorities are different.. This also partly explains why his words are somewhat less forceful, that they cover more of the general situation. They focus on the people who have arrived in Ceuta and their well-being and appeal directly to Morocco, but with an almost more institutional than political approach.

Defense of external borders

For five years, the priority of the member states, in terms of migration, has been the defense of the external borders, and for this reason solidarity with Spain is to be expected.. But for five years also, a good part of the 27 has washed its hands of these issues, and in the same way that aid to Greece, Italy and Malta has been scarce, precarious, not many expect a drastic change in Brussels and Madrid of attitude now that Spain is back on the front line.

“Saving lives at sea must be a priority for the EU. The Greek, Spanish and Italian borders are European borders. We need a common European policy on migration and shared commitments with neighboring countries to manage migration together”, pointed out the Italian David Sassoli, who as president of the European Parliament is one of the most active voices in the last two years in this debate.

In the community capital, the number of arrivals on Monday is of great concern, more than the fact itself. Until now the main concern has been the eastern Mediterranean and the situation was addressed with a multi-billion dollar deal with Turkey, buying with money the collaboration of Recep Tayyip Erdogan. But the arrival of a few dozen people is not the same as 6,000 at once, something that can cause a situation like that of 2015, which shook the continent.

In Brussels, jumping over the fence has always been on the radar, and the previous commissioners were very critical of Spain, since it has always placed more emphasis on treatment, hot returns or the use of concertinas. But with numbers like the ones being played now, the dimension, scope, and strength of a global response completely change.. Or should I force it.

In Brussels and many other capitals, the agreements that Spain has with a large part of the North African countries with access to the sea are used as an example of immigration policy, but the EU does not yet have agreements similar to that of Turkey. It contributes money, directly or indirectly, and sometimes listens to requests from Spain, but does not have a direct negotiation. And that is very noticeable in the management of this crisis.

In March 2020, when the pandemic was already being felt on the continent and especially in Italy, the presidents of the three European institutions, the Commission, the Council and the Parliament, went to Athens to support the Hellenic government after Ankara's decision of not only neglecting the surveillance of its beaches and ports, allowing exits that until then had been prevented, but literally pushing thousands of asylum seekers to cross overland into Greek territory. “thank you for being our shield”, Ursula Von der Leyen, David Sassoli and Charles Michel said then. “Today, from here, we want to send a message, a signal, of solidarity and support for Greece.. The first priority of the EU is to maintain order on the Greek border, which is the European border.. We are committed to mobilizing all the necessary support,” the German said then.

On that occasion it was Prime Minister Mitsotakis who required the presence and help of institutional leaders. Spain, for the moment, no. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has mobilized and has coordinated with the cabinets of the commissioners the public messages, tweets of support, signs of support. “Europe expresses its solidarity with Ceuta and Spain. We need common European solutions to manage migration. We can achieve this if we reach an agreement on the new Pact on Migration. Closer relations, based on trust and mutual commitments with partners such as Morocco, are crucial in this mission,” the Commission president assured in another tweet, published, like the rest of her EU colleagues, also in Spanish.

But, according to diplomatic sources, Madrid has not yet decided on the next steps, and it seems unlikely that it wants a staging like that of 2020 on the Greek islands. The practices put in place there, including those involving Frontex, the European agency already operating in the Canary Islands, have been widely criticized, and a significant part of Pedro Sanchez’s government has repeatedly spoken out against them.