EU 'united with Spain' over Ceuta crisis - O'Callaghan

An emergency meeting of EU interior and justice ministers to discuss the migrant crisis in Ceuta has taken place, with ministers praising Spain's handling of the incident. It was convened by Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan as Ireland holds the EU Presidency.

"The EU is united and stands ready to support Spain. We commend Spain for their swift response to the situation in Ceuta and extend our deepest condolences for the tragic loss of life," Mr O'Callaghan said.

The EU's migration chief said the bloc successfully met a "test" of its border security and "resilience to disinformation" in the handling of a migrant rush into Spain's North African territory of Ceuta.

"These past few days were a test of our European resilience, a test of the security of our external borders," Commissioner Magnus Brunner told reporters following the meeting with the bloc's interior ministers. "Europe, I think, has definitely passed this test."

Fernando Grande-Marlaska added that Spain had already returned to Morocco 70,000 of the 72,000 migrants who reached Ceuta, raising an earlier figure of around 50,000 arrivals.

The unprecedented rush from 30 July claimed 77 lives, according to the Spanish government - with people drowning as they tried to swim around a border barrier in the Mediterranean Sea - and sparked a diplomatic spat with Spain's EU partners.

"It is clear that in no way was the Schengen area compromised in this crisis," Mr Marlaska told reporters in Madrid following the meeting with his EU counterparts. "We all agreed that the Schengen zone was never in the least danger," he said.

France's interior minister said all members praised Spain's actions, adding that 70,000 people were sent back to Morocco after last week's crossing. Laurent Nuñez said ministers condemned attempts to divide the EU over the incident and agreed the Schengen zone was "not the problem" after calls to suspend Spain from the bloc. "We all agreed the Schengen area was not really the problem," Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said.

Italy and Denmark advocated last week for Spain to be suspended from the free-travel area over the Ceuta crisis, a notion firmly rejected by Madrid, and which in any case is legally impossible under EU rules.

Denmark said today that it was "very satisfied" with Madrid's response. "I am very satisfied that Spain acted quickly by deploying, among others, police and military forces, and that many migrants have already returned to Morocco," Danish Immigration and Integration Minister Morten Bodskov said in a statement. "But these events show that it is absolutely crucial that we have control over the EU's borders."