BRUSSELS APPROVES €114.7 MILLION TO ADDRESS SITUATION IN CEUTA

BRUSSELS, SEPTEMBER 9 /SRNA/ - The European Commission today decided to provide Spain with €114.7 million in emergency assistance to address the situation in the enclave of Ceuta following a mass illegal entry of migrants in late July, Brussels said.

The statement emphasized that the European Commission had stood by Spain from the very beginning and had immediately offered financial and operational assistance.

"This decision demonstrates full solidarity with Spain in addressing the situation in question," the statement said.

The statement added that the European Commission had coordinated the response and ensured the activation of support from other EU agencies.

The European Border and Coast Guard Agency Frontex, Europol and the EU Agency for Asylum /EUAA/ responded positively to Spain’s request for operational support, further strengthening assistance to the Spanish authorities in addressing the situation on the ground.

Ceuta faced a mass influx of migrants in late July. The Spanish Ministry of the Interior said that around 72,000 migrants entered the enclave from Morocco.