In an interview with Spanish Public Radio this morning, Spanish Foreign Minister Arancha Gonzalez Laya admitted that the hospitalization of Polisario leader Brahim Ghali in Spain is behind the «migration crisis» in Ceuta. «We did not start this escalation and we are not going to fuel it», she said. Asked about dialogue launched with Morocco to resolve the crisis, the minister said that «all channels are open», however, she did not wish to confirm a role of King Felipe VI in these mediation efforts. For the record, the Spanish monarch asked King Mohammed VI, during his visit to Morocco in February 2019, «to strengthen collaboration in order to slow migrant arrivals in Spain». Following his visit, the number of arrivals fell by 50% in 2019 compared to 2018, according to official figures. Arancha Gonzalez revealed that she urged Morocco's ambassador to Spain Karima Benyaich to «look to the future, which means that events like those recorded in the last hours shoudn't happen again». Spain now is relying on the support of the European Union in its open crisis with Morocco. «Spain has been working for years to bring the Union closer to its southern neighborhood, while the eastern neighborhood has particular weight within the EU, Spain, just like Italy and Greece, invites Europe to turn to the South», argued the Minister. For the record, on April 22, the day after the hospitalization of Brahim Ghali in Spain, Arancha Gonzalez called on the EU to grant more funds to effectively fight against irregular migration.
