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Brussels Live
Transcribed and translated by AI

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Good morning, everybody, and welcome
to our Press Point on the second annual

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Migration Management Cycle under
the Pact on Migration and Asylum.

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We have Commissioner Brunner here with
us, and I give the floor directly to the

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Commissioner. You have the floor.

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Thank you very much, and
good morning to everyone.

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Yeah, as you said, we are launching today
the second annual Migration Management

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Cycle. So we are delivering, actually, on
a core component of the pact, on migration

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and asylum. And it actually builds on the
very positive results that we achieved

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during the last two years, notably the
significant decrease of illegal migration to

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the European Union. And it also confirms
that our new approach on migration with the

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new legal framework, with a stronger border
protection, with new rules on returns,

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of course, also and also which is very
important, a more active migration diplomacy.

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That all this together, all these
reforms together, deliver the results.

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And with the annual cycle, we provide a
yearly, as you know, a yearly overview of

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the asylum and migration
situation in the European Union.

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And it's also to assess the migratory
situation in the member states.

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And also to ensure that the balance between
responsibility and solidarity of course

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keeps going. We also propose the
annual solidarity pool for 2027.

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So as I said, our reforms are delivering,
our new approach on migration is

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delivering strong results. Illegal migration
is down, asylum applications are down,

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unauthorized movements within the European
Union are down, and returns are going up.

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The numbers actually prove it. As we know,
illegal migration went down by 55 percent

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in the last two years, another
third this year already.

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And to give you a concrete example, the
Western Balkan route, for instance, which

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was the most challenging route in the past,
is down by 95 percent in the last years.

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Western Africans, Central Mediterranean,
route down 80 percent in the last year.

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So you can also see the effects actually
on the member states themselves.

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Just to give you a couple of examples
there, Sweden has the lowest numbers ever

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recorded, Denmark the lowest numbers in
40 years, Austria returns more people than

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you have asylum applications, for the
first time actually in over two decades.

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Germany, in Germany the asylum
applications are down 80

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percent compared to two years ago.
So the numbers are quite clear there.

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And this brings me to
the next point, the pact.

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The pact is up, the pact is running. By
now, all member states are applying the new

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rules of the pact. It's about,
of course, restoring control.

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And also better preventing
the abuse of our system.

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It's about speeding up
the procedures as well.

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And it's also about decreasing the
pressure altogether from illegal migration.

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And at the EU's external borders, all those
arriving illegally are now apprehended,

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they are screened, and
they are also registered.

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By the way, that's the same logic that
applies to those also arriving legally.

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They are screened and registered
with our new entry-exit system.

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The member states are putting the new
border procedures to use directly at the

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external borders. And the figures from the
first weeks are quite encouraging I would

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say. Over 15,000 until October. So that
means faster decisions, that means swifter

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returns also for those who have no right
to stay in the European Union directly from

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the external borders. And also another
very important point is that all member

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states are connected to the new Eurodac
database, which actually helps to prevent

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abuse and gives us also more control. And
all that together gives the member states

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space also to provide protection for
those who really need protection.

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So it creates space, of
course, there as well.

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And now to the core of today's report,
building on the strong results also from the

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first cycle, today we launched the
second annual Migration Management Cycle.

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The first cycle actually
proved that the system works.

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Rules are in force, and solidarity also
delivers on what the member state agreed

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last year. So based on the data, based
on the information provided by the member

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states and also on a sort of solid
methodology, the report presents which member

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states will have access to solidarity, in
the second cycle, and also which member

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states are facing significant
migratory situations.

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And the new rules no member state, of
course, is left alone to deal with this with

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the illegal migration. Those facing a
significant migratory pressure can, of course,

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always count on others to provide
solidarity and also support.

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And it is, this is also clear, it is for
the contributing member states to decide

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how they can contribute. Be it financially,
be it other contributions offsets or

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relocation. And at the same time, to benefit
from the solidarity member states must,

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of course, always exercise
their responsibility.

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And that is the core of the pact,
altogether, responsibility and solidarity of

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course must go hand in hand. Maybe to
conclude, we have as I said, I think already

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achieved a lot in the last two years. But
good policy is always say never stops.

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Evolving and so therefore we will
further also build on this on the common

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foundations to ensure that we continue
to, of course, restore control, that we

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continue also to build more trust even
between the member states and also, of

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course, more trust with
the citizens. Thank you.

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Thanks very much. We can
take a couple of questions.

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Really only a couple of questions the
Commission has and ensuring engagement

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afterwards. But we can
take some questions.

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We're starting with Dorota.

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So. Hello? Okay. Yes?
Is it no? Yeah, okay.

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So is Dorota from Polish TV TVP? I would
like to know which countries are excluded

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from participation in the
solidarity pool next year.

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This year there were four countries, Poland,
Croatia, Austria, and Czech Republic I

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think, that didn't have to take the
migrants or contribute otherwise.

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Which countries will not have to participate
in this solidarity mechanism in 2027,

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please? And if Poland is one of them, why?

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What were the arguments? Thank you.

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Okay, I'll concentrate
on Poland in this case.

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Poland is, of course, among the member
states facing a significant migratory

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situation. This is because Poland has been
hosting and you were asking me for the

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reasons, hosting high numbers of beneficiaries
from temporary protection from the

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Ukraine. And also, of course, faces
challenges when it comes to weaponization,

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instrumentalization at the
migration at the border.

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So nothing has changed for
Poland from last year on that.

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And also for the other member states you
were mentioning, so with this decision

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today, Poland, as you said, Poland can
ask the Council then for a deduction from

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solidarity and then the
Council will decide on that.

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Thank you very much, Matthia.

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Yes, hello, Commissioner Matthia Bagnoli.
Answer the National Italian News Agency.

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Responsibility and solidarity in your
assessment, Italy made some progress on

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responsibility, meaning obviously
controlling secondary movement.

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But further progress is needed and you are
going to carefully watch those progress.

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So my question is, is
this a yellow card here?

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Thank you.

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Talking about football or no, I think
Italy, and as you said, of course Italy is

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incredibly important for us
when it comes to management.

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Migration. And we see in the results also,
and that's why I was mentioning that,

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illegal arrivals are down over 55%. As I
said before, in the central Mediterranean,

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this year already and also thanks to
the measures taken actually by Italy.

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And this is, this has also a positive
effect for the entire European Union.

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As you said, when it comes to the rules of
the pact, we see that Italy has invested

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a lot and has made an
important progress already.

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At the same time, of course, responsibility
and solidarity, as I said, must continue

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to go hand in hand. And that will, of
course, also be taken into account, as you

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said, we're going to monitor
the situation very closely.

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But Italy is important and Italy has
done a lot to improve the situation.

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Thanks very much. Yes, yeah, we have.

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Thank you for the press point
and for taking my question.

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Herr Commissar, Clemens Handel,

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for ORF. Should Austria continue to be part
of the solidarity exemption even though

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the number of asylum applications in
Austria is at its lowest level in years?

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Austria has been able
to provide solidarity.

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Why is Austria still part of the group of
countries facing a significant migration

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situation?

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Because we have clear rules and a methodology
that is also clear, which the Member

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States have agreed upon. And I say this
precisely because Austria has also taken on

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a great deal of responsibility in the
past when it comes to secondary migration.

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And this is also taken into account, of
course, when it comes to this assessment.

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And therefore, we are proposing, yes, that
Austria should have the possibility, in

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other words, that Austria should
also be exempted from solidarity.

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Because Austria has indeed taken on a
very, very high level of responsibility in

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recent years. And that is
also being factored in.

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Thanks very much. We have
time for two more questions.

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Alexandra.

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Is it working? Okay.
Commissioner, good morning.

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Alexandra Voudouri with Kathmerini. Beyond
the assessment of migratory pressure,

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almost five months after the pact was
entered into application, what is the

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Commission's initial assessment
of its implementation in Greece?

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Particularly regarding border
screening and registration procedures.

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And have you identified any concrete
improvements since last year, at least?

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And what challenges
remain? Thank you so much.

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Yeah, thank you very much. Greece is, of
course, also an incredibly important for

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managing migration in Europe. And it
plays a big role in our altogether, in our

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efforts to keep illegal migration down.
And this has also same with Italy, of

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course, a positive effect
on the whole European Union.

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When it comes concretely to Greece, so while
overall actually the arrivals along the

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eastern Mediterranean route has decreased,
Greece, of course, has still challenges.

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Definitely. Greece has challenges, of
course, especially due to the arrivals from

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Libya. That is why we are engaging with
our partner countries along the eastern

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corridor to prevent these dangerous journeys
and also there, Greece, of course, is

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incredibly important. When it comes to the
rules, of the pact, Greece will therefore

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like last year have access to the solidarity
pool and Greece is actually making an

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effective use of the new border procedure.

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So that's very good news.
Greece is doing a very good job.

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And it is also increasing
returns by the way.

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And that sense I would say a very clear
message from Greece to the rest of the

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world. Very good news. And Greece is
also delivering on the responsibility and

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solidarity part. And that strengthens also
our common system altogether and builds

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also helps to build trust
among the member states.

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Thanks very much. One more question. You
know all of you, we will have the technical

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briefing coming afterwards. So you'll
have ample time to ask your questions.

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We will explain everything afterwards.
But one more question now because the

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Commissioner has to leave. Miguel.

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Hi, Miguel Salvatierra for
FS Spanish News Agency.

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I would like to ask first about
the general situation in Spain.

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I would like to know if the Commission
considers Spain did a good job facing

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migration. And also I would like to know
why did you consider the incidents in

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Ceuta? If I'm not wrong, the report analyzes
data between July 2025 and June 2026.

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I just would like to know
why did you analyze that.

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Thank you.

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Yeah, Spain is of course one of the four.
Member states under migratory pressure.

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And it was already last year. And the
reasons are also, as I said, fact-based I

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would say. And it's a part of our, as I
mentioned before, of our solid methodology.

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Just to know, for this year, Spain accounted
for around 20% of all illegal border

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crossings at the European Union level.
And that was and was actually the third

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member state to for arrivals
through search and rescue.

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Also search and rescue operations. Especially
to the Canary Islands, of course, but

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also the Balearic Islands. And yes, Ceuta
indeed, Ceuta, the situation in Ceuta has

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been taken into account
also in our assessment.

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And it tells us altogether with the facts,
the figures I was mentioning, that Spain

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is under migratory pressure. As I said,
it's about the facts, the figures, the solid

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methodology. We have and the
assessment is based on that.

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So yes, Spain is under pressure.
That's what we suggest.

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Thanks very much, everybody. This
ends our press conference for now.

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You will have the chance to ask more
questions now in the technical briefing.

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Thanks, Commissioner. Thanks,
everybody, for coming.

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See you soon.

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Thank you very much.