Italy keeps Schengen suspension with Spain in place for further 15 days over Ceuta tensions

The Italian government has announced a 15‑day extension of the Schengen border suspension with Spain, following the entry of roughly 72,000 migrants from Morocco into Ceuta, Spain, last month.

The Interior Ministry said it is currently informing the EU that the border checks at air and sea points with Spain will be extended for an additional 15 days.

Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi explained the rationale for the measure to his Spanish counterpart, Fernando Grande‑Marlaska, in a constructive telephone discussion, according to the statement.

Border checks for arrivals from Spain, originally set to end on 31 August, will now remain in place for an additional 15 days. Minister Piantedosi noted that the situation in Ceuta remains critical, with an estimated 5,000 to 10,000 irregular migrants still present, creating significant tension with local residents.

Piantedosi said the situation in Ceuta has not improved. A careful assessment will be conducted, and a final decision on the suspension will be made on the day it expires, 31 August, he told TG1.

He reiterated that the measures are not intended to provoke a clash with Madrid and that they target only third‑country nationals, without affecting Italians, Spaniards, or other Europeans.

Spanish Foreign Minister Manuel Albares has condemned the Italian government’s action as an unjustified affront to Spanish dignity, suggesting it is driven solely by electoral calculations.

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