The groundwork for Tuesday’s meeting was set on Monday when EU ambassadors held talks that lasted around two and a half hours. The Spanish envoy gave Madrid’s account of the Ceuta crisis, during which more than 70 people died, and reprimanded some capitals for spreading disinformation, according to one of the diplomats. The ambassador was asked for verification of Madrid’s figures on returned migrants and for the situation to be closely monitored, two other diplomats said. Concerns were also raised that Spanish government policies may have been used by people-smugglers and gangs to encourage the events in Ceuta. Italy called for the EU to immediately establish migrant deportation hubs in non-EU countries, one of the diplomats said.