The government of Giorgia Meloni rejected the demand of Pedro Sánchez to cancel border control with Spain, which Italy reinstated on August 1 due to the mass illegal entry of migrants into Ceuta on July 30. In a statement, the Italian government emphasized that the country “does not accept ultimatums or external pressure” on issues of national security.
The Spanish government on Friday threatened Italy with “proportional measures” if border control is maintained until next Monday. In its communiqué, the Spanish government called this measure “unfair” and “unprecedented in modern history”.
Italy maintains control and is open to dialogue
The Italian government confirmed that it will maintain the partial suspension of the Schengen Agreement at least until August 15, as it believes that security risks still exist. Italy recalled that, according to Spanish authorities, a new wave of migration is expected in Ceuta by this date. Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi confirmed this position, stating that “it is hard to claim that these risks are now absent”, as European treaties allow for exceptional measures in the presence of a potential threat to national security.
The minister added that after August 15, the government will assess whether the conditions exist to lift the suspension, emphasizing that this is a “temporary” measure applied selectively and without consequences for citizens of the European Union. At the same time, for the first time since the beginning of the diplomatic crisis, the Italian government left open the possibility of a diplomatic resolution and expressed readiness for “constructive dialogue” with the Spanish government once the circumstances that, in its opinion, justify the partial suspension of the Schengen Agreement disappear.
Spain disputes Italy’s arguments and demands the cancellation of control
Earlier, the Spanish government warned that the reinstatement of control affects “the mobility of thousands of passengers” and creates “legal uncertainty” in the midst of the summer season. The measure was introduced “without prior notice, unilaterally, and with false arguments that do not correspond to either the Schengen Borders Code or the truth”.
The Spanish government emphasizes that none of the migrants who illegally entered Ceuta last week could or can freely enter the Schengen area, as the autonomous city of Ceuta has a special regime in the Schengen area, and almost all of them have already returned to Morocco. Spain has never introduced control measures against Italy and has always shown solidarity with it, accepting part of the migrants who arrived on Lampedusa in 2023 and regularly opening its ports to migrants rescued on the central Mediterranean route.
The government of Pedro Sánchez, which held a coordinating video conference with four of its ministers and the deputy minister of foreign affairs to analyze the situation in Ceuta, stated that Italy’s measure is “unfair, contrary to the interests of the EU, and discriminatory against the Spanish population”. Spain urges the government of Giorgia Meloni to rectify the situation, that is, to stop the control and treat Spaniards “like the rest of European citizens”. “If this is not done by the end of Sunday, August 9, Spain will be forced to take proportional measures to protect the interests and dignity of its citizens”, the Spanish government stated. “We hope that Europeanism, common sense, and good faith will prevail”, the government added, concluding the communiqué with a message to the Italian authorities: “Governments exist to promote understanding between countries and the common interests of their populations, not to create divisions and fruitless conflicts caused by internal electoral motives”.
Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares stated that there is “no basis” for Italy to maintain control at the air and sea borders with Spain, emphasizing that the migration crisis in Ceuta, which triggered the Italian measures, has already been “resolved and brought under control”. “Most of the people who illegally entered Ceuta have already been returned”, confirmed Albares, who is accompanying King Felipe VI in Cali on the occasion of the inauguration of the elected president of Colombia, Abelardo de la Espriella. During the first two days after the introduction of control, no significant changes occurred in Italian airports and ports related to Spain. According to the Italian Ministry of the Interior, security forces limited themselves to selective checks aimed at “third-country nationals”.
Source: La Vanguardia
