The European Commission has granted Spain €114.7 million in emergency aid to help it manage the migrant situation in Ceuta, after some 70,000 people crossed into the Spanish enclave on 30-31 July.
The funding decision, announced on Wednesday, comes in response to a request submitted by Spain on 24 August.
Of the total, €82.7 million will come from the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund, while €32 million will be provided through the Border Management and Visa Instrument.
The money will be used to strengthen border surveillance and protection, improve security infrastructure and deploy additional staff and equipment. Planned measures include thermal cameras, observation technology, floating buoy systems and underwater drones.
It will also fund facilities for processing migrants and support the return of people staying irregularly in Ceuta.
In addition, the aid is intended to boost local reception capacity, including support for unaccompanied minors.
The Commission also announced extended support from several EU agencies, including the border agency Frontex, Europol and the European Union Agency for Asylum.
On Tuesday, Ceuta Mayor-President Juan Jesús Vivas appealed for help during a visit to Brussels, describing the situation in his city as unsustainable.
