MADRID, August 3. /TASS/. Madrid is calling on other European Union countries to show solidarity over the recent surge in migrant arrivals to the Spanish enclave of Ceuta in North Africa, Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said.

According to him, "some [European] governments failed to rise to the occasion" in their response to the surge in migrant border crossings. The top diplomat pointed out that Madrid had demonstrated solidarity with fellow EU members during previous crises. "And this is what we are demanding from other European nations," he told TVE in an interview. Albares added that Spain’s autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla had never posed a threat to the integrity of the Schengen zone.

"From the very beginning, Morocco offered assistance, seeking to stop the flow of people and ensure that they returned home immediately," the Spanish foreign minister noted. "The vast majority of those who arrived [in Ceuta] have already returned to Morocco, but Morocco’s offer of assistance still stands," he added.

In late July, tens of thousands of migrants swam or walked into Ceuta, bypassing the breakwater separating the Spanish enclave from Morocco. The crisis prompted Spanish authorities to deploy troops to help maintain security. At least 72 people died while attempting to reach Ceuta. Most of the migrants are believed to have returned to Morocco.

The crisis prompted several EU countries to call for a review of Spain’s Schengen membership. In particular, Rome announced a decision to suspend Schengen travel agreements with Madrid. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, in turn, sent a letter to Brussels expressing concern over the reaction of some European governments to developments in his country. Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska also said that some EU members had acted selfishly amid the crisis.