legitimate

Images of migrants from Morocco streaming into the Spanish territory of Ceuta in North Africa have again thrust the immigration debate into the spotlight in Europe and elsewhere.

Despite the sea barrier separating Ceuta and mainland Europe, some EU countries have announced controls at their borders with Spain.

Italy has suspended Schengen rules allowing border-free travel.

US President Donald Trump has also weighed in, attempting to tie the brief migrant surge in Ceuta to the US midterm elections in November.

But why did the influx happen now, and what does it mean for Spain’s relatively migrant-friendly policy as it faces hostility from large parts of Europe?

Presenter: Anna Burns-Francis

Guests:

Anna Terron Cusi – Spain’s former secretary of state for immigration and emigration, who is now a senior fellow at the Migration Policy Institute

Daniel Gros – Director of the Institute for European Policymaking at Bocconi University and an adviser to the EU parliament

Deborah Fleischaker – Former acting chief of staff at US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), who is now a senior adviser for immigration policy and strategy at UnidosUS

July 2 (UPI) — Federal authorities said that some of the ransom notes they have received over the course of their investigation into the kidnapping of Today host Savannah Guthrie‘s mother were not legitimate.

The FBI has received several purported ransom notes during its five-month investigation into the disappearance of 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie, who was reported missing from her Arizona home on Feb. 1.

In a statement Wednesday, the FBI’s Phoenix field office revealed that some of those notes “have been deemed to be extortion attempts without legitimacy” while others “may potentially be legitimate and are still being investigated as such.”

The statement seemed to be in response to recent reporting stating authorities believe notes from the purported kidnappers in February that claimed Nancy Guthrie had died and that they didn’t mean to kill her were authentic.

The reports referenced a note sent to local media on Feb. 2 demanding millions in ransom, and a second note from Feb. 6 that stated Nancy Guthrie had died.

On Feb. 7, Savannah Guthrie, appearing alongside her siblings in a video posted to Instagram, said to the kidnappers that “We received your message, and we understand.”

The FBI did not mention any specific notes.

The Pima County Sheriff’s Department, the lead investigating agency in the case, also issued a statement Wednesday, confirming that it has also received information regarding potential ransom notes without commenting further.

“Every tip and lead is taken seriously and is forwarded directly to our detectives, who continue to work in coordination with the FBI,” it said, directing further questions about ransom notes to the federal law enforcement agency.

The FBI said the investigation is ongoing.

“This case continues to be investigated as a kidnapping for ransom case,” it said.