Spain Praised by EU Ministers for Swift Handling of Migration Crisis in Ceuta

Interior ministers from across the European Union have commended Spain for its swift response to the migration crisis in Ceuta, the Spanish enclave on the North African coast. Last week, more than 80,000 people crossed illegally from Morocco into the territory. While most have since returned, roughly five thousand migrants remain there.

According to the Austrian newspaper Kronen Zeitung, Austria's representative put forward a five-point plan aimed at preventing similar situations from happening again. Key measures include closer cooperation with migrants' countries of origin and transit, along with the targeted, effective use of visa policy and financial aid to encourage such cooperation.

Another proposed measure involves speeding up deportation procedures, ensuring that people with no legal right to remain in the EU are returned home more quickly. The plan also calls for tighter security along the EU's external borders, achieved through improved surveillance and expanded powers for the border agency Frontex.

Looking ahead, the plan proposes identifying potential migration waves at an earlier stage using early-warning systems, including the monitoring of social media activity.

Around Prague, based on reporting by novinky.cz