MADRID: The meeting between EU interior ministers to address the Ceuta mass border rush had a constructive tone and member states recognized Madrid’s “immediate and efficient” response, Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska told reporters on Tuesday. About 70,000 of the 72,000 migrants who entered Ceuta had left, Grande-Marlaska said, adding that the Schengen space was never compromised as the North African enclave is not included in the agreement.

A majority of EU countries called on Saturday for emergency talks on the sudden inflow of tens of thousands of migrants into Spain's enclave of Ceuta in North Africa.

Spain’s foreign minister maintains 'the integrity of the Schengen area is absolutely guaranteed'.