EU chief criticises Spain's migrant plan after Ceuta crisis meeting

The EU's top official on migration has criticised Spain's plan to regularise undocumented migrants as "not a good signal" for Europe, after an emergency meeting intended to draw a line under divisions on the Ceuta crisis.

Magnus Brunner, the European commissioner for migration, said that while the EU could not currently see a direct link between events in Ceuta and Spain's regularisation plan, the policy was "definitely not a good signal for the rest of Europe".

It was a rare note of discord as the EU sought to move on from an acrimonious row, caused after tens of thousands of migrants arrived - and mostly left - the tiny Spanish territory in north Africa.

EU interior ministers held a hastily arranged video conference on Tuesday, intended to learn lessons from the politically divisive Ceuta crisis and chart next steps.

Spain's government said at least 75 people had died trying to reach the territory last week, although Ceuta authorities on Monday put the death toll at 88, with at least 11 more on the Moroccan side of the border.

About 70,000 of the 72,000 people who entered Ceuta had left, Spain's interior minister, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, told reporters on Tuesday. He described the EU meeting as constructive, saying member states had recognised Madrid's "immediate and efficient" response.

Brunner said the past few days had been "a test of our resilience" and the EU's external border. The situation, he said, was under control; no one had moved to mainland Spain and the EU's border-free Schengen zone had not been affected.

The message of unity came after several EU member states heavily criticised Spain. Twenty two signed a letter, organised by Italy and Denmark, that implicitly criticised Madrid's plan to regularise 500,000 undocumented migrants and asylum seekers as a "pull factor" for "illegal migration". Nearly 1.2 million people have applied for the scheme.

Asked about Spain's regularisation policy, Brunner said it was not discussed on Tuesday, but added: "I always say to this regularisation discussion ... it's not a good signal, definitely not a good signal for the rest of Europe."

He went on: "I do understand that it is a member state's competence. And I do understand that Spain did it because it's mainly about Latin Americans speaking the same language, having the same culture, but the signal for the rest of Europe is not a good one, definitely not."

Brunner declined to criticise Italy's decision to reintroduce air and sea border checks with Spain for one month, after the Spanish prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, said such moves were informed by "prejudice, fake news, ignorance and political interest".

Brunner said any suspension of Schengen rules had to be proportionate and temporary, adding: "I have some understanding of this reaction of the Italians, because the citizens are concerned."

France's interior minister, Laurent Nuñez, said EU ministers had agreed the Schengen zone was "not the problem". France was one of the few member states not to sign the letter of 22 EU leaders indicating readiness to reintroduce border checks, although it did step up its own controls.

Denmark's interior minister, Morten Bødsko, said he was "very satisfied" with Spain's handling of the crisis, but doubled down on the message that the EU needed tougher border controls, adding: "Uncontrolled immigration is a threat to Europe and Denmark."

Ministers broadly endorsed a five-point plan set out by European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, who proposed further action to strengthen Europe's external borders, including an early-warning system and better cooperation with non-EU countries on migration.

A statement published by the EU council after the meeting said there was "a common understanding of the need to continue relentlessly fighting migrant smuggling networks, to reinforce returns, to strengthen EU borders, to build deep partnerships with third countries, and to improve foresight".

The EU's foreign policy service was investigating the possible role played by Russian disinformation, but it was too early to reach conclusions, Brunner said.