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Officials from a migrant centre in Ceuta, North Africa, which has been overwhelmed by the number of migrants arriving, have claimed immigration is an EU problem, not a Spanish problem.

Ceuta has become a magnet for African migrants hoping to reach Spain as it has the EUs only land border with Africa.

Early on Monday morning, almost 200 migrants from Guinea arrived in the Spanish city of Ceuta where they have been staying in a temporary centre for immigrants.

REUTERS

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African migrants react as they arrive at the CETI, the short-stay immigrant centre, after crossing the border from Morocco to Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta

It is a problem for the European Union because the autonomous cities are the way to enter the continent

Ceuta immigration spokesman

Government delegate in Ceuta, Nicols Fernndez Cucurull, blamed a security failure in the surveillance of the border for the migrants managing to enter successfully.

A spokesman from the immigration centre said: It's not our problem and we're not going to solve it.

It is a problem for the European Union because the autonomous cities are the way to enter the continent.

Often these people go to countries like France or Germany.

He said the EU does not pay attention to Ceuta because it is outside the Schengen area, which has abolished border control between EU nations.

A source from the temporary migrant centre said: Here we meet their most urgent needs for a maximum of three months, until the police authorise their transfer to the host NGOs.

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This week the Spanish police also arrested 19 North African migrants hiding in fairground lorries after a funfair in Ceuta.

The comments come as Ceuta has decided to close its border crossing because of the sheer number of migrants arriving in the city in Morocco.

The week-long agreement with the Moroccan authorities involves closing the border crossing Tarajal.

Ceuta is home to 85,000 people, measures just seven square miles and lies just across the Strait of Gibraltar from Spain.

It is protected by fences with barbed wire, video cameras and watchtowers and many migrants have died or been injured trying to enter the territory.

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Border SHUT as Spain blames EU for immigration crisis - Express.co.uk