Spain asks the EU for Frontex support for the migrant screening process in Ceuta

The request has been forwarded by the Minister for Home Affairs, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, to the Commission's Director-General for Migration and Home Affairs, Beate Gminder.

The letter sent by Grande-Marlaska is in response to the letter which the Director-General sent on 21 August to Spain's Ambassador to the European Union, Marcos Alonso, to whom she offered the assistance of various European agencies in light of the situation arising from the migration crisis experienced by Ceuta on 30 and 31 July.

In response to that offer, the Minister for Home Affairs has asked Gminder to ensure that Frontex, Europol and the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA) strengthen the measures put in place to manage the triage and subsequent processing of the personal files of migrants who are still residing in Ceuta without proper authorisation.

In the case of Frontex, the Ministry of Home Affairs has requested an extension of Operation Minerva, which covers the ports of Algeciras, Tarifa and Ceuta during the "Operation Crossing the Strait" until 2 September, as necessary while the situation in the autonomous city is resolved.

In addition, the Ministry is requesting the deployment of ten additional officers from the Frontex Standing Corps to assist with triage operations, with a view to speeding up the process of collecting information from those who arrived on 30 and 31 July and have not yet undergone this procedure.

As part of this triage process, Home Affairs believes that assistance from the EUAA - specifically in conducting interviews and providing interpreters - would be highly beneficial. Given the limited availability of suitable venues in the city, these activities would be carried out online.

Once the triage phase and, and, where applicable, the border asylum procedure are concluded, the Ministry of Home Affairs will specify the Frontex assistance required to carry out certain returns, utilising the mediation mechanisms and agreements the European agency holds with various countries of origin.

Furthermore, Grande-Marlaska has asked Gminder to ensure that the Civil Guard's ocean-going vessel Duque de Ahumada - which operates under Frontex command for six months of the year, having been co-financed by the EU - remains in Spanish waters throughout 2027.

Finally, the letter calls for the continuation of EUROSUR Fusion Services; operated by Frontex, this service provides satellite imagery of the border with Morocco, focused on monitoring maritime zones, ports, coastlines and key pre-border areas.

With regard to Europol, Grande-Marlaska is committed to maintaining and deepening the existing operational cooperation between Spanish security forces and the European agency, particularly concerning the investigation of migrant-smuggling networks and strategic analysis.

After thanking Director-General Gminder for the assistance offered, Grande-Marlaska reminded her that on 24 August Spain had requested emergency aid totalling more than 32 million euros from the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) and the Instrument for Border Management and Visas (IGFV) "and we look forward to a prompt resolution".

Non official translation