German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul called on the European Commission to give “absolute priority” to the protection of the European Union’s external borders. He made the statement in an interview with the newspaper Bild am Sonntag, commenting on the recent mass influx of migrants into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta.
According to the head of the German foreign ministry, the situation in Ceuta in recent days became a “real stress test” for Europe that was successfully withstood. However, the events revealed the vulnerabilities of the union.
“Therefore, I expect the European Commission to make the protection of the external borders an absolute priority so as not to further endanger the Schengen system of open internal EU borders,” Wadephul emphasized.
He noted that an effective migration policy is impossible without cooperation with countries outside Europe. In this case, Morocco became the key partner. The German minister positively assessed the joint actions of Spain and Morocco, which made it possible to quickly bring the situation under control. Wadephul also pointed to the importance of promptly