Italy suspends Schengen travel with Spain over Ceuta migrant crisis

Italy has announced emergency border controls on air and sea routes with Spain, temporarily suspending Schengen free-travel arrangements with the country throughout August in response to the impact of a migrant crisis in Ceuta, Spain’s North African enclave.

The move follows the arrival of tens of thousands of migrants from Morocco into Ceuta, triggering a political dispute within the European Union and criticism from Madrid, which said the Italian measure undermined EU unity.

The decision is expected to affect air and maritime travel checks between the two countries. Reuters reported that Rome said the measure would involve targeted checks on non-EU nationals arriving from Spain by air or sea, while Spanish and other EU citizens would not be affected.

Matteo Piantedosi, Italy’s interior minister, said the air and sea border controls would remain in force throughout August.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who came to power on a hardline immigration platform, described the decision as an “extraordinary measure” taken to protect national security.

“This is an extraordinary measure, adopted to safeguard national security and prevent possible repercussions for our nation,” Meloni wrote on X, adding that it would remain in force only for as long as necessary and with attention to limiting any impact on summer tourism.

Meloni said Italy was ready to support any European initiative to help Spanish institutions fully restore control of the EU’s external borders.

“Protecting borders means protecting citizens’ safety, fighting illegal immigration and dismantling criminal networks that traffic human beings,” she added.

The crisis erupted after tens of thousands of migrants from Morocco crossed into Ceuta, following a Spanish Supreme Court ruling that migrants intercepted at sea while trying to enter Ceuta or Melilla, Spain’s other North African territory, could not be summarily returned to Morocco. AP reported that Ceuta’s president put the number of arrivals at 60,000, while Spain’s Interior Ministry estimated around 50,000 had crossed.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen described the images from Ceuta as “unacceptable” and said Europe could not allow people to enter the bloc without respecting its rules. She said dangerous crossings must stop, smuggling networks must be dismantled, and returns must be carried out swiftly within the law.

Spanish authorities said on Friday evening that more than 48,000 migrants had voluntarily returned to Morocco.

Magnus Brunner, the European commissioner overseeing the crisis, said Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares had informed him that almost all the migrants had returned and that none had crossed to the EU mainland.

Albares said in a post that the security of the Schengen area was fully guaranteed and called for an end to what he described as deliberate confusion.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez criticised Italy’s temporary Schengen move and insisted that Spain remained in control of the situation.

“Solidarity and compassion may be optional, but respect for European treaties and facts is not,” Sánchez said. “This is not the time for division, but for continuing to build a stronger and more united European Union.”

Source: reuters.com