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Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has sent a letter to the European Commission, citing a Moroccan demand of resources for border management, reported London-based online newspaper Euractiv on Tuesday.
In his letter, the newly elected Spanish PM urged the EU institution to provide emergency assistance to tackle the surge in migrant arrivals.
According to an EU official Euractiv spoke to, Sanchez’s request is being «quickly» assessed by the Commission.
For the record, the European Union has approved a 55 million-euro fund to manage borders and equip border guards in Morocco.
The Spanish Prime Minister’s request comes as in June, the European Council promised to make efforts and support front-line countries, origin and transit nations such as Morocco and Spain.
Indeed, the Western Mediterranean route, linking Morocco to Spain, is a gateway for irregular migrants wishing to enter the EU zone. Recent numbers suggest that on July the 30th, 23 993 people entered Europe through the above-mentioned route, surpassing other courses such as the one through Italy (18 298).
To help stop the surge, the European Commission granted Spain, earlier this month, 24.8 million Euros to «enhance its reception capacity, providing healthcare, food, and shelter to migrants arriving on the southern coast, Ceuta and Melilla», says the same source.
On July 26th, nearly 400 migrants forced their way into the Spanish enclave Ceuta from the Moroccan territory. The Spanish and Moroccan authorities couldn’t stop migrants attempting to enter the city, says the same source.
