Italy temporarily suspends Schengen agreement with Spain due to migrant influx to Ceuta

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani announced on Friday that Italy had suspended the Schengen Agreement with Spain, following the influx of migrants into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta in northern Morocco. Tajani wrote on the X platform, “The temporary suspension of the Schengen Agreement with Spain is a necessary decision to protect the security of our citizens and defend Europe’s borders.”

The Italian Ministry of the Interior confirmed to Agence France-Presse that Italy had closed its sea and air borders to Spain, but clarified that this would not affect the travel of Spanish and European citizens to Italy. A ministry spokesperson stated that following discussions with France, the two countries would strengthen border controls on their land borders.

On Thursday, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called for Spain’s suspension from the Schengen Area, describing images from Ceuta showing thousands of arriving migrants as “shocking.” Tajani said on Friday that the temporary suspension of the Schengen Agreement, which is an open travel zone where passengers are not subject to checks, “is provided for in the treaties and has become unavoidable today.”

He described the migrant crisis in Ceuta as a “shared responsibility” within the European Union, urging EU countries to “work together to prevent uncontrolled migrant flows into EU territory…”

The Ministry of the Interior announced that any checks at air and sea borders with Spain would be “targeted,” applying only to non-European citizens arriving from Spain. The ministry clarified that this measure would remain in effect for one month starting Saturday.