European Parliament today debate response to crises such as Ceuta

MEPs, together with the Irish presidency of the Council and the European Commission, want to determine a new way for the EU to act in the face of this type of humanitarian crisis, and the resolutions chosen will be voted on Thursday.

The discussion will involve protecting the EU's external borders against hybrid attacks and instrumentalising migration, cooperation between EU countries and third countries, the role of the European Border Security Agency Frontex and any further measures.

The illegal entry into Ceuta of thousands of people destabilized the region, but also Europe.

Several countries, such as Italy, Finland, Denmark or Sweden, have requested the suspension of Spain from the free movement area. Schengen with fear that Morocco has instrumentalised migrants to put political pressure on the European country.

Consulted at the time by the Lusa agency, the main advisor to the International Centre for the Development of Migration Policies (ICMPD), Martin Hofmann, considered one of the world’s leading experts in migration flows, argued that this type of scenario needs more answers.

“ Situations such as Ceuta generate, in a few hours, an avalanche of images and comments that can quickly create the impression of a crisis. European governments therefore need to respond as quickly and clearly as possible,” he said.

What is needed, he argued, is “a rapid response chain and a coherent communication strategy”.

For Martin Hofmann, “deeper cooperation with neighbouring countries is needed, for example through comprehensive partnerships on migration”, but also a stronger response mechanism that can be activated immediately”, and is based on the solidarity of all Member States.

The sociologist and scientific director of the Pedro Góis Migration Observatory also considered that the EU's response should be different from that of today.

“It can’t just be national,” he said, saying that “when a Member State faces border pressure on this scale, Frontex should function as a mechanism of solidarity and rapid response” and “not let Spain manage what is in practice an external border problem alone”.