Government of Spain is taking the necessary measures to protect the integrity of its borders

Moncloa Palace, Madrid

The Minister for Home Affairs, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, spoke at the press conference following the Council of Ministers to report that, since the mass arrival of immigrants began, the Government has made every effort to protect the integrity of its borders and to return those who enter Spain illegally through the legally established channels.

"Ceuta," he said, "is as much a part of Spain as Madrid, Seville or Barcelona, and the Government is not going to stop adopting all necessary measures to reverse this situation and support the citizens of Ceuta".

Return of 2,700 migrants

Foto: Pool Moncloa/Borja Puig de la BellacasaThe Minister for Home Affairs has stated that the Government is and will continue to be "forceful in its defence of the borders". In this regard, he said that 200 extra people have been added to the 1,100 agents who are permanently on the ground.

The new people will be deployed at the crossing points from Morocco, carry out public security tasks and speed up the procedures for returning illegal immigrants. In this respect, Fernando Grande-Marlaska said that 2,700 people, which includes no minors, have already been returned to Morocco.

The minister also announced that members of the Armed Forces have been deployed in the area and are participating in joint patrols with the National Police and the Guardia Civil. "This is an extraordinary and exceptional situation, to which we are responding with extraordinary means".

Grande-Marlaska explained that he will travel to Ceuta this afternoon, accompanied by the operational directors of the National Police and the Guardia Civil, where he will hold an operational coordination meeting with both forces, together with the government delegate, Salvadora Mateos, and the president of the autonomous city, Juan José Vivas.

Condemnation of xenophobic messages

The Minister for the Treasury and spokesperson for the Executive, María Jesús Montero, has condemned xenophobic messages that seek to criminalise migrants or associate them with criminal behaviours. "The last thing a migration and humanitarian crisis needs is for political leaders to stir up hatred or fear, so we call for responsibility, prudence and a sense of State so as to not give rise to situations that could generate more fear or tension among citizens".

In the same vein, Fernando Grande Marlaska pointed out: "We will be just as belligerent in defending Spain's borders in Ceuta as we will be in condemning and prosecuting hate speech".

María Jesús Montero also sent a message of tranquillity, confidence and solidarity to the citizens of Ceuta, Melilla and the towns of southern Spain.

Montero has confirmed that the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, has cancelled his planned trip to Paris to take part in the Summit on Financing African Economies. Sánchez will travel to Ceuta and Melilla today to show the determination with which the government is acting.

Furthermore, the spokesperson stated that the head of the Executive and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Arancha González Laya, are in contact with EU representatives, with whom they are studying a response to the migratory situation at an external border to the European Union.

Positive developments in the pandemic and vaccination

Foto: Pool Moncloa/Borja Puig de la BellacasaThe Government has analysed the health report on the COVID-19 pandemic. The Minister for the Treasury and spokesperson for the Executive, María Jesús Montero, has pointed out that, although we should not lower our guard, the evolution is positive, as is the vaccination campaign: 15% of the population has already been given the full course and soon 33% will have received the first dose.

"Our forecast is that we will receive around 17 million doses in June, so we will be able to mass vaccinate those under 50," she said.

The current limitation of flights between the Federal Republic of Brazil, the Republic of South Africa and Spanish airports has been extended again by the Council of Ministers until 00:00 hours on 8 June.

Boosting recycling and limiting single-use plastics

The Executive has approved the referral of the draft Law on Waste and Contaminated Land to Parliament. The text revises the legislation to comply with the new targets set out in the European directives that make up the Circular Economy Package, as well as those arising from the directive on single-use plastics.

María Jesús Montero explained that this change in the waste management model will require investment in Spain of 2.5 billion euros by 2035 according to European Commission estimates. The reform is in line with the Spanish Circular Economy Strategy (Circular Spain 2030), which aims to protect the environment and human health, reduce the overall impact of resource use and promote a low-carbon economy. The Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan already includes 850 million euros for this strategy.

It sets more ambitious targets to prepare municipal waste for re-use and recycling and establishes a timetable for the separate collection of new waste streams, such as bio-waste and textile waste. It also includes actions against food waste and, for the first time in Spanish legislation, limitations on single-use plastics - for which it establishes a tax to reduce their being sold. Similarly, it includes a landfill and incineration tax to make landfill disposal the last resort.

Finally, to reduce the use of packaging, establishments in the hotel and catering sector will always have to offer the possibility of non-packaged drinking water for free.

Restoration of degraded mining areas

Foto: Pool Moncloa/Borja Puig de la BellacasaThe Council of Ministers has regulated direct aids to implement and speed up the "Environmental Restoration Plan for closed or abandoned mining operations and deteriorated land of thermal power plants". The initiative is part of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan and is allocated 150 million euros for the period 2021-2023.

The aid is intended for the regional governments where the companies that closed in 2018 did not carry out environmental restoration, as is the case in the Principality of Asturias, Aragón and Castilla y León. The spokesperson pointed out that they will enable the rehabilitation and recovery of more than 2,000 hectares of degraded natural space; generate short-term local employment, prioritising hiring those who are surplus to requirements in the coal mining industry; adapt the land for new uses, and complete the closure of coal mining, thus responding to the commitments made to the European Commission.

Amendment of the Law on Excise Taxes

The Government has analysed the draft bill amending the Law on Excise Taxes and other tax regulations, which will now be submitted to public consultation.

The text transposes three European directives, such as the procedures set out in the EU Customs Code, and makes progress in the coordination of procedures and excise taxes.

As a feature, Montero pointed out, control is being strengthened to tackle a form of hydrocarbon tax fraud, which consists of making small amendments to the composition of fuels, particularly diesel, to avoid paying the tax.

Other agreements

• 509.5 million euros to offset for the damage caused by storm 'Filomena' in the areas already declared "Area Seriously Affected by a Civil Protection Emergency" (Asturias, Castilla y León, Castilla La-Mancha, Andalusia, Aragón, Madrid, La Rioja and Navarra) and in those approved today - the Canary Islands, Cantabria, Catalonia, Murcia and the Valencian Community.
• The Organising Committee for 'Spain, Guest of Honour at the Frankfurt Book Fair 2022' has been set up. This event is the most commercially important international professional book fair and is an excellent platform to promote Spanish culture and authors internationally.

Non official translation