Meeting between Minister for Home Affairs and ACNUR España representative

In the course of this meeting, Jorge Fernández Díaz explained the principal measures the Government is taking to address the humanitarian drama currently affecting Europe.

The Minister for Home Affairs reminded the representative of ACNUR España that in the Council of Ministers held last Friday an Inter-ministerial Commission was set up to coordinate actions in this area and that this Monday the first meeting of this Commission was held. Furthermore, yesterday the 8th Sectoral Conference on Immigration and Emigration was held in Madrid, chaired by the Minister of Employment and Social Security and attended by all the representatives of the Autonomous Regions involved in this issue.

Jorge Fernández Díaz explained to Francesca Friz-Prguda that no country can tackle this issue alone and, therefore, the combined efforts of the international community as a whole are required, and in particular those of the European Union, the area which has to bear the greatest brunt of the problem. In this respect, the Minister for Home Affairs said that Spain's standpoint is constructive and positive, the same message that will be delivered next Monday, September 14, at the extraordinary meeting of the Council of Ministers of Justice and Home Affairs (JHA). He also assured that everyone who seeks asylum and has a right to it will be accepted, and that Spain will collaborate with the rest of Europe.

Jorge Fernández Díaz agreed with Francesca Friz-Prguda that this situation needs a proper State policy and requires us to take decisions, and to do so seriously, meticulously and in the most efficient and orderly manner possible.

Finally, the Minister for Home Affairs conveyed to Francesca Friz-Prguda the Government's commitment to the question of asylum. Spain is one of the 15 countries of the European Union to have a resettlement programme that is renewed every year, and this year the Ministry of Home Affairs has set up asylum offices in Ceuta and Melilla.

Meanwhile ACNUR España offered the Minister of Home Affairs its collaboration and put forward a number of proposals on which it is working to address the flow of refugees.