Spain defends a "preventive" migratory policy before the Twenty-seven

Madrid / BarcelonaEuropean Interior Ministers have been meeting since 10 a.m. this Tuesday with the migration crisis in Ceuta as a backdrop. The meeting, which was expected to be tense, takes place after the Spanish government requested it due to the "unsupportive" reaction, in the opinion of Pedro Sánchez's executive, of some member states to the entry of migrants from Morocco into the autonomous city. The Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, intended to appeal precisely to this solidarity and demand it.

At the meeting, Spain not only argues that it "practices a responsible migration policy with its obligations," but also a "supportive" one with the rest of the countries. In addition, Marlaska proposes Spain's commitment to a "preventive" migration policy – that is, one that focuses on cooperation with countries of origin and transit – and not a reactive policy, which is one that acts when the emergency and migration crisis are already at the border, according to sources from his ministry. With these arguments, the Spanish government claims to have succeeded in reducing the flow of irregular immigrants into the State.

This does not mean that the Spanish government does not focus on border control, which for Europe and many member states is the philosopher's stone of migration policy, especially at a time of expansion of the right and far-right. The minister, in fact, argues that Spain is "committed" to this border control.

This point is key: the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has focused on it in a letter sent this Monday to Pedro Sánchez in which she insisted on reinforcing the southern border in Spain. Also on the need for a "united" response.

But up to 22 countries have also focused on it, supporting a letter promoted by Italy and Denmark in which they also requested a meeting like this Tuesday's and questioned the Spanish strategy on migration. Specifically, policies such as extraordinary regularization.

The one with whom there has been the most clashes is Italy, which after the crisis in Ceuta has not hesitated to tighten border controls for people traveling from Spain. "The new European Union pact on asylum and migration has a marked Italian footprint, it collects what we learned from Silvio Berlusconi," reiterated the Italian Foreign Minister, Antonio Tajani, on Monday night. This time, Spain's allies could be counted on one hand, but there are some. France has distanced itself from the criticism of some countries such as Italy, Denmark, or Finland. Diplomatic sources pointed out to Efe on Monday that the country opts for a "concrete and effective" response and praised the "cooperation" with the State for the "control" of migration.