Ireland is just one of five European Union nations not to sign an letter calling for an emergency meeting to discuss the bloc\u2019s response to the sudden arrival of up to 60,000 migrants in the Spanish territories of Ceuta and Melilla in North Africa this week.<\/p>\n
Twenty two EU leaders called for\u00a0 urgent talks, with the member states saying \u201can extraordinary videoconference of the Ministers of the Interior,\u201d was needed as a \u201cmatter of urgency\u201d. The letter was initiated by Italy and Denmark, according to Euro News.<\/p>\n
However, Spain, France, Ireland, Luxembourg and Portugal did not sign the letter.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The letter said a meeting should be used to form a \u201ccommon assessment of the situation\u201d in Ceuta and to reach an \u201cagreement on a coordinated European response.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe cannot allow uncontrolled mass crossings, the instrumentalisation of migration or other hybrid threats to create the perception that illegal entry into the European Union is possible,\u201d the leaders said, adding that \u201cany necessary measures\u201d should be considered to address the risks, \u201cincluding through reinforcing or reintroducing temporary internal border controls.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSuch a perception would encourage further attempts, undermine confidence in our common migration policy and have repercussions for all Member States,\u201d the letter said.<\/p>\n
It also pointedly referenced the Spanish government\u2019s move to grant legal status to more than a million illegal immigrants as a \u201cpull factor\u201d that may have sparked the crisis \u2013 something Madrid has denied, blaming human traffickers for the crisis.<\/p>\n
While Spain\u2019s Socialist government has defended its policies, and argue that most of the migrants who crossed from Morocco have been returned, they faced severe criticism from other EU governments earlier this week \u2013 with Italy suspending free movement between both countries, and calling for Spain to be suspended gro.<\/p>\n