The Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, expressed Spain’s firm opposition to the new return regulation during his speech at the Interior Ministers’ Council held this week in Luxembourg.
Grande-Marlaska expressed the “serious doubts” of the Spanish Government about the legality and proportionality of creating return centers in third countries, criticizing that detention is no longer a last resort option as the period of deprivation of liberty is extended to 24 months, with “potentially indefinite” extensions.
The minister raised a troubling question in his speech: “Are we going to allow people in an irregular administrative situation to be deprived of liberty longer than criminals convicted of serious offenses?” For him, this situation is unacceptable not only for Spain but also for the European Union, which is based on fundamental rights and freedoms.
Furthermore, Grande-Marlaska emphasized his concern about the non-binding agreements being considered, which lack adequate guarantees for the rights of individuals. In his view, this could result in families with children being returned to countries with no prior connection. In this regard, the minister also stressed the importance of bilateral relations in migration policy, highlighting that cooperation has managed to reduce irregular arrivals to the Canary Islands by more than 60%.
