Italy Suspends Schengen with Spain

The Italian Ministry of the Interior has ordered the closure of maritime and air borders with Spain amid a massive migration crisis in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta. The decision effectively means the temporary reinstatement of border controls for passengers arriving from Spain.

The decision was made after analyzing operational intelligence at a meeting of the Committee on Immigration and Border Security. The meeting at the Italian Interior Ministry was chaired by Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi.

Italian authorities fear that migrants who arrived in Ceuta from Morocco may try to move to mainland Spain and then continue onward to other European Union countries.

Piantedosi also held a telephone conversation with French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez. The parties agreed to strengthen checks on the land border between France and Italy within the framework of existing law enforcement cooperation agreements.

For travelers, the decision may mean additional document checks at airports and seaports, increased processing times at checkpoints, and possible flight delays. However, this does not mean Spain's exclusion from the Schengen Area or a full ban on travel between the two countries.

EU rules allow states to temporarily reinstate internal border controls in the event of a serious threat to public order or internal security. Such measures must be applied only in exceptional cases and remain proportionate to the identified threat.

Rome's decision followed a mass influx of migrants into Ceuta. According to local authorities' estimates, around 60,000 people—a number roughly equal to 70% of the city's permanent population—have entered the Spanish enclave in a short period.

Migrants crossed the land border with Morocco, climbed over fences, and attempted to reach Ceuta by sea. According to the latest reports from La Stampa, the bodies of 57 victims have been found off the coast. Search operations were ongoing, so the death toll could rise.

Spanish authorities have deployed additional police and military units to Ceuta. The government also announced plans to set up a physical barrier of buoys at sea to limit dangerous border crossings and speed up the repatriation of migrants who arrived illegally.

Source: La Stampa