Italy extended the suspension of its Schengen open-borders area agreement with Spain for an additional two weeks in response to the unresolved mass migrant invasion of Ceuta.
The Italian government led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni began enforcing air and sea border controls on Spanish citizens last month after tens of thousands of illegal migrants swarmed into Ceuta, triggering a massive and widespread crisis at the Spanish exclave that remains far-from-resolved a month later. Italy’s one-month suspension of the Schengen open-borders agreement with Spain was due to expire on Monday, August 31.
The Italian Interior Minister announced on Monday that Rome is extending the Schengen suspension with Spain for an additional 15 days and is in the process of duly notifying the European Union of the fact.
Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi informed his Spanish counterpart, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, of the Italian government’s decision through a telephone call, the Italian Ministry detailed.
The Ministry explained that the decision was made in line with an analysis conducting by its Committee on Immigration and Border Security, which determined the “persistence” of the factors that led to the initial suspension in the first place.
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The decision, the Ministry added, takes into account “the initiatives already launched by Spain, in collaboration with the European Union, to help the situation in that area move towards normalization in the near future.”
Speaking to reporters, Minister Piantedosi stressed upon he need to extend the duration of the border checks with Spain but hoped that further extensions are not necessary. The Minister reportedly pointed out that the measure “has not been particularly invasive or pervasive and has allowed for the normal flow of travel among European citizens, so we will move forward.”
“I am confident that this will be the last extension because it would mean that, as we expect, the situation is moving toward normalization,” Piantedosi reportedly said. “We are confident, and we are also open to any form of cooperation with Spain and the European Union.”
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani celebrated the extension of the suspension as a “sound one,” pending the establishment of conditions that allow for the resumption of full and free movement with Spain.
“The decision, made in accordance with the Schengen rules, is provisional and motivated by the need to ensure the security of Italian and European borders and to prevent any infiltration, particularly by jihadists,” Tajani said on a social media post.
“Italy will continue to work with all European Union countries, in a spirit of cooperation including with Spain, with the goal of combating illegal immigration and, instead, promoting controlled and regular migration flows,” he continued.
Rai News, citing sources from the Italian Interior Ministry, reports that Italian authorities arrested six individuals and turned back 31 others during the first month of border controls with Spain. Nearly half a million passengers were screened, while more than 180,000 arriving from Spain were identified as they entered Italy.
On the other hand, and according to Spanish Interior Ministry information cited by Rai News, Spain inspected some 1,000 flights carrying a total of 12,337 passengers from third countries arriving from Italy.
Spanish public broadcaster RTVE reports that Madrid will reciprocate the suspension and continue to enforce border controls with Italy for an equal 15-day period. The Spanish government led by socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez began a tit-for-tat border checks on Italian travelers on August 8.
Unnamed Spanish Interior Ministry sources confirmed to the public broadcaster on Monday that Spain’s border checks with Italian travelers will last until September 22.
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