After returning the 116 migrants who forced their way into Ceuta to Morocco on Wednesday, Deputy Prime Minister of Spain Carmen Calvo reacted to the decision in a press conference, reports TVE. The Spanish Socialist Workers Party politician said that people should make a difference between land and sea illegal migration. «Legally, it is very different to save someone at the sea, in a situation of humanitarian emergency, and expel someone who is violently attacking your borders», she stated. The Deputy Prime Minister explained that Spain «has brought back the agreement it signed with Morocco in 1992, which has already been used in the past». The treaty allows us to expel third-country nationals who crossed the borders between Morocco and the two Spanish enclaves illegally. She, however, noted that minors were not expelled and that all the migrants returned to Morocco «did not apply for asylum». For the record, 116 migrants who managed to climb the fence in Ceuta, were finally delivered to the Moroccan authorities. The decision was highly criticized by human rights groups and activists, including Amnesty International.
