PM Meloni states Italy suspends Schengen system with Spain to protect national security
Rome (ANTARA) - Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni stated on Friday night (31/7) local time that her government has decided to temporarily suspend the Schengen free movement system for sea and air routes with Spain, and to reintroduce border checks.
“This is an extraordinary step taken to protect national security and prevent potential impacts on our country. This measure will remain in effect only as long as necessary, with particular attention given to limiting any impact on summer tourism flows,” Melermoni stated in a post on the social media platform X.
The decision was made after the Italian government assessed the current situation regarding immigration and border security, following a recent surge in migrant arrivals from Morocco in Ceuta, a Spanish enclave in North Africa, according to the Italian news agency, ANSA.
ANSA reported that Italy will implement border controls on sea and air routes with Spain for a full month starting 1 August. These checks will be carried out at Italian ports and airports. Border police will conduct “targeted” and “selective” inspections, focusing primarily on third-country nationals arriving in Italy from Spain, to verify whether they possess valid documents to travel within the Schengen area.
“The temporary suspension of the Schengen system with Spain is a necessary choice to protect the security of our citizens and maintain Europe’s borders. This step is provided for in the treaty and is unavoidable given the current situation,” said Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani in a post on X on Friday night local time.
“The migrant crisis in Ceuta reminds us that the management of European Union (EU) borders is a shared responsibility among our member states. We must work together to prevent the influx of uncontrolled migrant flows into the EU territory, along with all the risks and terrorism threats that must be addressed without hesitation,” Tajani added.
Schengen is an agreement between 29 European nations that allows for free movement between member states without passport checks at entry and exit points.