The Diplomat
The Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, yesterday rejected any “transfer of powers” for border control to the governments of the Basque Country and Catalonia because it is an “exclusive competence of the State” that “corresponds to the Civil Guard.” and to the National Police.”
“Everything that is border control is an exclusive competence of the State and, therefore, corresponds to the Civil Guard and the National Police; There cannot be any transfer of jurisdiction in such an important matter as the control of maritime, land, and air borders,” the minister declared to the press before participating in a meeting at the General Directorate of Traffic (DGT).
“Any other hypothetical measure within the framework of the development of security functions will be in accordance with the Constitution and Law 2/1986 on State Security Forces and Corps and the statutes of autonomy,” he added, quoted by the Europa Press agency.
On March 21, the Catalan Minister of the Interior, Joan Ignasi Elena, expressed his intention to discuss with Grande-Marlaska the granting of new powers to the Mossos d’Esquadra for control at airports and ports in Catalonia. That same day, associations of civil guards referred to an instruction from the Secretary of State for Security that, according to them, “would hand over citizen security powers in ports and airports in favor of the National Police, Ertzaintza and Mossos d’Esquadra, to the detriment of the Civil Guard.”
