Vivas demands a "forceful" response from Brussels against Morocco while the EU prepares its visit to Ceuta due to the migratory crisis

The president of Ceuta, Juan Jesús Vivas, has demanded this Tuesday in Brussels greater involvement of the European Union in the face of migratory pressure from Morocco and has demanded a "forceful" response to protect the territorial integrity of the autonomous city. During an appearance in the European Parliament, Vivas has also defended that any cooperation policy between Brussels and Rabat must "start from respect".

"We are the neighbors, we are the most interested in relations between the EU and Morocco being fruitful and collaborative, but reality cannot be denied, Morocco has twice used border control and authorized migratory pressure to jeopardize the territorial integrity of Ceuta, Spain and Europe," said the Ceuta president. Vivas has thus accused the neighboring country of having used border control and migratory pressure on two occasions as a mechanism to strain the situation in Ceuta.

Among his requests to community institutions, the president of the autonomous city has proposed that Ceuta and Melilla have a specific framework within the EU. Vivas demands a "specific status" that includes issues such as state aid, recognition of Ceuta's special economic and fiscal regime, and an increase in European funding. He has also requested that Frontex and the European Asylum Agency have a permanent presence on the ground and that Brussels participate financially in the necessary actions to reinforce the border with Morocco.

European Commission officials will travel to Ceuta this week

Vivas's demands coincide with the upcoming trip of European Commission officials to Ceuta. Community representatives will travel to the autonomous city at the end of this week and will also hold technical meetings in Madrid, while Brussels continues to "advance as a priority" on the request for financial support presented by the Spanish Government two weeks ago.

The community spokesperson for Interior and Migration, Markus Lammert, explained that these meetings, requested by the Spanish authorities, will aim to "analyze the situation on the ground". The Commission thus intends to learn first-hand about the city's situation and the needs raised by Spain after the migratory crisis.

"We are closely following the situation and remain fully committed at all levels to guarantee the security of the Union's borders. The Commission maintains close contact with the Spanish authorities at all levels," Lammert reiterated. The visit of the European officials will thus represent a new step in Brussels' involvement in the situation in Ceuta and in the processing of the economic aid requested by the Spanish Executive.

Albares and Vivas coincide in Brussels

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, and the president of Ceuta, Juan Jesús Vivas, will coincide this Tuesday in Brussels, where both will hold a series of meetings with representatives of community institutions to address the situation of the autonomous city after this summer's migratory crisis.

Albares will focus his visit on advancing a greater integration of Ceuta and Melilla into the structures and instruments of the European Union. To this end, he will hold meetings with representatives of the European Committee of the Regions and with the Commissioners for Home Affairs and Migration, Magnus Brunner; Trade, Maroš Šefčovič; and Mediterranean, Dubravka Šuica. He will also meet with the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas.

During these meetings, the head of Spanish diplomacy also intends to address the role of both cities on the European external border and cooperation with the countries of the southern neighborhood. The visit comes after Pedro Sánchez committed before Congress to propose to Brussels a more favorable tax regime for Ceuta and Melilla through their incorporation into the customs union as outermost regions.

For his part, Vivas will go to the European Parliament to explain directly to the community authorities the consequences that the migratory crisis has had in Ceuta, with special attention to the pressure on public services, coexistence, and the response capacity of administrations. The president of Ceuta will meet during the morning with the president of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, and with the president of the European People's Party, Manfred Weber.

Vivas's agenda also includes meetings with commissioners Šuica and Brunner, so he will coincide with part of the discussions Albares will hold. The simultaneous presence of both will allow conveying Ceuta's demands to Brussels from the central government and from the autonomous city itself. The visit also comes as the European response to Spain's request for emergency aid to deal with the consequences of the crisis is still pending. The European Commission considers this request a priority and plans to send a technical mission to Ceuta this week to assess the city's needs on the ground and study possible avenues of cooperation.