The European Commission sees 'important progress' to unblock emergency aid to Ceuta

The European Commission sees "important progress" to finally be able to unlock emergency aid to Ceuta after receiving new explanations from the Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska. As EL MUNDO published this Thursday, the Community Executive has been forced to delay the granting of more than 100 million euros to Ceuta after a late and defective request for funds made by the Spanish Government.

The European Commissioner for the Interior, Magnus Brunner, announced this Friday on social networks "important progress" towards the unblocking after "a good conversation" with Marlaska, which predicts the unblocking of aid that will be used both for the improvement of border protection equipment and for the accommodation of immigrants and support for their return, according to the community sources consulted. Brunner's spokesman had warned the day before that the aid could not be approved without receiving "important clarifications" from the Spanish Government.

"I have had a good telephone conversation with Minister Grande-Marlaska about the evolution of the situation in Ceuta," Brunner said in a message published on social networks, in which he stated that the Spanish Minister of the Interior has also updated him on what he is doing "on the return of those who remain in Ceuta illegally" and "on the efforts to reinforce security on the ground."

The telephone conversation between the commissioner and the minister takes place a day after the community Executive detailed that it was waiting to receive "important clarifications" from the Government in the request for emergency funds and also about the support it now wants to receive - before it disdained it - from Frontex and Europol.

The President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, made a change this Thursday and was in favor of community agencies having the greatest presence so far in Ceuta with a permanent Frontex position and a specific Europol mission.

The European Commission reiterates for its part that it has been offering support "since day 1" of the crisis, but that it first needs a formal request from the Government that the EU can approve.