Spain says 70,000 out of 72,000 migrants that entered Ceuta in mass border crossing have returned to Morocco – as it happened

And, on that note, we will be closing the blog for today. Spanish interior minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska said that 70,000 of the estimated 72,000 migrants who crossed into the north African enclave of Ceuta last week have moved back to Morocco, as the EU ministers met to study the crisis and draw lessons for its border management (10:08, 14:06). Grande-Marlaska insisted that the EU’s free-travel Schengen area “was in no way compromised,” as Ceuta is not part of the arrangement that sees travellers cross without border checks. At least 75 people died during the attempted crossing, EU ministers were told (13:54), with Spain rejecting suggestions that it had any advance knowledge of the surge (11:31, 14:19). In sharp contrast to much more critical statements last week, ministers publicly praised Spain’s “swift” response to the crisis (13:54, 14:10, 14:25, 15:25), as they met virtually to discuss potential measures to strengthen the EU’s external borders.

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