Belgium calls for stronger Frontex role ahead of EU meeting on Ceuta migration crisis

Belgium on Monday called for a stronger role for the EU's border agency Frontex and closer cooperation with migrants' countries of origin, as EU interior ministers are set to convene Tuesday for an emergency meeting on the migration crisis in Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta, according to Belgian broadcaster RTBF.

"We must better protect our external borders, crack down harder on smugglers and prevent them from triggering new illegal migration flows to Europe," Asylum and Migration Minister Anneleen Van Bossuyt said.

EU interior ministers are due to hold a videoconference on Tuesday to discuss the situation in Ceuta, with Van Bossuyt representing Belgium.

She said Europe should invest in stronger external border controls, provide sufficient resources for Frontex and adopt a firm approach against human trafficking.

Van Bossuyt also said Belgium's federal government had a different approach from Spain on the regularization of undocumented migrants.

"Each country decides how it conducts its asylum and migration policy," she said.

"At the same time, we see that Belgium, like a large majority of EU member states, is following a different path from Spain," she added.

She said Belgium's coalition agreement ruled out regularization measures "because we know that such political choices can create a pull factor and that we must not reward illegality."

Twenty-two EU leaders, including Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever, on Saturday called on the European Commission to adopt additional measures to strengthen the bloc's external borders.