Italy has extended the suspension of the Schengen agreement with Spain for 15 days due to the migrant crisis in Ceuta.

Italy has decided to extend the suspension of the Schengen agreement with Spain for another 15 days, a measure initiated at the beginning of August in response to the migrant crisis in Ceuta.

The Italian Ministry of the Interior has confirmed that the initial assessment, which led to the introduction of border controls on August 1, remains valid, highlighting the initiatives of Spain and the European Union to normalize the situation. In response, Spain announced the extension of border controls for passengers arriving from Italy by air or sea.

Although Italy does not share a land border with Spain, the measure targets travelers between the two countries. The Italian government justified these controls on security grounds, not political reasons. This decision was made after, at the end of July, approximately 72,000 migrants crossed illegally from Morocco into Ceuta, and at least 100 people died during these attempts.

The majority of migrants were returned to Morocco, but about 5,000 remained in Ceuta, some of whom are seeking asylum.