Brussels: 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.

According to Anadolu Agency, Belgium's Asylum and Migration Minister Anneleen Van Bossuyt emphasized the need for better protection of external borders, a crackdown on smugglers, and the prevention of new illegal migration flows into Europe. Van Bossuyt stressed that Europe should invest in stronger external border controls, allocate sufficient resources for Frontex, and adopt a firm approach against human trafficking.

EU interior ministers are scheduled to hold a videoconference on Tuesday to address the situation in Ceuta, with Van Bossuyt representing Belgium. She highlighted the differing approach of Belgium's federal government compared to Spain regarding the regularization of undocumented migrants.

"Each country decides how it conducts its asylum and migration policy," Van Bossuyt stated, noting that Belgium, along with the majority of EU member states, is pursuing a different path from Spain. She pointed out that Belgium's coalition agreement rules out regularization measures, warning that such political choices could create a pull factor and inadvertently reward illegality.

In a show of solidarity, twenty-two EU leaders, including Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever, have urged the European Commission to adopt additional measures to reinforce the bloc's external borders.