GERMAN Chancellor Angela Merkel and Spanish president Pedro Sánchez have taken a moment out of their holidays in the Doñana National Park on the Cádiz-Huelva provincial border to discuss migrant and refugee policies.
A working lunch in the Palace of the Duke and Duchess of Medina Sidonia in Sanlúcar de Barrameda (Cádiz province), spoke of border control and humanitarian assistance, agreeing it was necessary to reinforce cooperation between the European Union and African output countries.
In particular, Frau Merkel stressed the need to work more closely with Tunisia and Morocco, the departure point – although not normally the native countries – of most of the Mediterranean migrants, and added: “We shouldn't just be talking about Africa, but also talking with Africa.”
Sánchez recalled that Morocco was one of the EU's main allies on the African continent and was also a country suffering 'great migratory pressure', and that he is keen to reinforce bilateral cooperation 'to give Morocco a key role in structuring migrant inflows'.
He added that Europe 'must reject the opportunism' of those who have 'proposed failed solutions in the past', and that even though 'only 14 kilometres of sea separate the Spanish and European coasts from those of North Africa', the distance in terms of 'economic and social development and human rights' is 'infinitely greater'.
In a barely-veiled reference to far-right-leaning EU nations, Frau Merkel said firmly that 'no country should be able to consider itself exempt from the challenge'.
Respecting the 'human dignity' of migrants who reach European soil is crucial, Frau Merkel says.
“The racist tendencies that, regrettably, we are seeing in all member States is something we need to fight against,” Angela Merkel concluded.
The above photograph, taken and provided by the Moncloa Palace – the official presidential residence in Spain – shows Angela Merkel (left) and Pedro Sánchez (right) during their working lunch in Sanlúcar.
