German minister calls for expedited deportation in mass border crossings - TimesLIVE

German interior minister Alexander Dobrindt on Saturday called for an expedited procedure to deport individuals after mass border crossings, such as the influx into Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta in July.

“We need a new European mechanism for handling migration crises,” Dobrindt said at the start of a meeting in Munich with EU counterparts and EU migration commissioner Magnus Brunner.

Dobrindt said exceptional situations similar to the one in Ceuta had occurred repeatedly at the EU’s external borders.

More than 72,000 people surged into Ceuta from Morocco at the end of July, though most later left. Spain estimates 12,000 migrants remain in the tiny territory, including minors.

“These waves are not caused by a humanitarian emergency but are driven by misinformation,” said Dobrindt, calling for a fast-track procedure for repatriation when authorities determine that there is an exceptional situation that is not linked to a humanitarian emergency.

According to Dobrindt, the European border protection agency Frontex should also assist countries in such situations by deploying a rapid response force within 24 hours.