Italy: Meloni suspends Schengen Agreement with Spain due to border crisis

Italy announced the temporary suspension of the Schengen Agreement with Spain to avoid suffering the consequences of the migration crisis that has been plaguing its European ally for several weeks and has worsened in recent days.

The Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, had already warned a few hours ago that they would make this drastic decision and received support from countries such as Denmark and Finland.

This temporary measure entails the suspension of free movement between Italy and Spain. More than 60,000 migrants have entered Spanish territory illegally through Ceuta, a Spanish city located in North Africa that borders Morocco.

"It must be combated without hesitation"

In a statement, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani stated that this decision is "a necessary choice to protect the safety of our citizens and defend European borders."

"The migration crisis in Ceuta reminds us that managing the European Union's borders is a shared responsibility among our countries, toward one another. We must work together to prevent uncontrolled flows of migrants from entering EU territory, with all the resulting risks and the threat of terrorism, which must be combated without hesitation," added Tajani, who served as President of the European Parliament from 2017 to 2019.

Other allies could follow suit

There is a possibility that other European governments will follow suit. The Minister of the Interior of Finland, Mari Rantanen, noted that "countries that fail to fulfill their obligation to protect the external border cannot be members of Schengen," while the Prime Minister of Denmark, Mette Frederiksen, urged the EU to "immediately take all necessary measures and consider all options, including suspending Schengen cooperation."

For its part, France, which borders Spain to the north, secured its border by deploying additional police forces, as reported Friday by Laurent Núñez.

"Starting this Friday, reinforcements will triple, with 184 police officers mobilized and enhanced drone surveillance. Starting Saturday, they will increase fivefold, bringing the total to 334 police officers and gendarmes in addition to the usual personnel. Aerial surveillance resources will also be reinforced," announced the French Interior Minister.