Finland's interior minister backs unconditional EU support for Spain amid Ceuta migrant crisis

Mari Rantanen Spain Ceuta migrant crisis EU interior ministers Finland

Interior Minister Mari Rantanen said that at the EU interior ministers' meeting Spain received unconditional support from all member states, and that Finland is ready to back Spain. The meeting, held as migrants from Morocco surged toward the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, did not address the introduction of border checks. Roughly 60,000 people attempted the crossing in the past week; Moroccan officials reported 11 deaths while Spanish authorities in Ceuta said more than 70 died.

Defence Minister Antti Häkkänen told the press that Rantanen’s comments reflected her personal political view and that the government has no official position on temporarily excluding Spain from Schengen. Education Minister Anders Adlercreutz also stressed that the Finnish government has not decided on any Schengen exclusion, urging solidarity with Spain and warning that Russian disinformation is exploiting the incident. He noted that most of the migrants who reached Ceuta have already returned to Morocco.

Entities

Anders Adlercreutz · Antti Häkkänen · Ceuta · Mari Rantanen · Spain

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[○ 1 SOURCE] Defence Minister Antti Häkkänen said Rantanen’s remarks were her own political view, not the government’s position. www.iltalehti.fi
[○ 1 SOURCE] Finland is ready to support Spain. www.kouvolansanomat.fi
[○ 1 SOURCE] EU interior ministers gave Spain unconditional support from all member states. www.kouvolansanomat.fi
[○ 1 SOURCE] Moroccan officials said 11 people died; Spanish officials said more than 70 died during the Ceuta crossing. www.kouvolansanomat.fi
[○ 1 SOURCE] Most migrants who arrived in Ceuta have already returned to Morocco. yle.fi
[○ 1 SOURCE] No discussion of border checks was held at the EU interior ministers' meeting. www.kouvolansanomat.fi
[○ 1 SOURCE] Education Minister Anders Adlercreutz said the Finnish government has not decided to exclude Spain from Schengen. yle.fi
[○ 1 SOURCE] Approximately 60,000 people migrated from Morocco to Ceuta in the past week. www.kouvolansanomat.fi

Sources

Heinäluoma vaatii Orpoa irtisanoutumaan sisäministerin puheista – ”Rantanen on heikentänyt Suomen asemaa” [demokraatti.fi]

16 days ago

Rantanen: Espanja sai EU:n sisäministerien kokouksessa kaikkien jäsenmaiden varauksettoman tuen [www.kouvolansanomat.fi]

17 days ago

Häkkänen IL:lle: Rantasen Espanja-ulostulosta ei keskusteltu hallituksessa [www.iltalehti.fi]

17 days ago

Adlercreutz tar avstånd från Rantanens uttalanden om Spanien: ”Det var hennes eget ställningstagande” [yle.fi]

17 days ago