EU commissioner says bloc recognises Spain’s ‘enormous’ pressure from migration, pledges more support

THE EU’s immigration spokesperson has said it recognised that Spain is facing “enormous” pressure due to ongoing migration while pledging to step up funding to better manage arrivals.

Dimitris Avramopoulos said the EU was ready to give Spain the technical, financial and political support it needed to deal with migration.

The Immigration and Interior Commissioner added the EU would step up its co-operation with Morocco to better manage migrant flows.

“Spain is under pressure and will continue to have our full support. We gave Spain almost €36 million of emergency assistance last year,” Avramopoulos said.

https://twitter.com/Avramopoulos/status/1103311329987870721

It comes as the EU pledged €140 million to improve border controls at Morocco.

Hundreds of migrants have attempted to cross the North African country’s borders with the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla in recent years.

More than 65,320 irregular migrants arrived in Spain in 2018, according to figures from the International Organisation for Migration.

Many are fleeing war, poverty and persecution in their home countries in Africa and the Middle East.