Italy has suspended its free-travel Schengen arrangements with Spain by sea and air after as many as 60,000 migrants entered the tiny Spanish enclave of Ceuta from Morocco in just 24 hours.
The measure, confirmed by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, will impact people travelling by plane or boat between the two countries. Meloni called it “an extraordinary measure, adopted to safeguard national security and prevent possible repercussions for our nation.”
The huge influx overwhelmed Ceuta, a city of 85,000 people, triggered a political crisis for Madrid, and led to a barrage of criticism from the US and other EU countries, including broader calls to suspend Spain’s membership of the Schengen area.
What Happened in Ceuta
At least 57 people died trying to reach the Spanish enclave of Ceuta as migrants crossed from Morocco. Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called it “a violation of Spain’s territorial integrity” and blamed misleading narratives spread by human traffickers.
By Friday afternoon, Spanish authorities claimed that a vast majority of migrants had voluntarily returned to Morocco, with no onward migration route to mainland Spain or the EU.
Italy’s Response
Italy’s interior ministry said border police would carry out “targeted, selective checks” on third-country nationals arriving from Spain to verify travel documents. Italy also agreed with France to strengthen controls along the Franco-Italian land border.
“Defending borders means defending the safety of citizens, combating irregular immigration, and striking at the criminal networks that traffic human beings,” Meloni said.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani called the suspension “a necessary choice to safeguard the security of our citizens and defend the European borders.”
EU Reactions
The crisis exposed deep divisions within Europe. Some EU leaders called for Spain to tighten its asylum laws and border protections.
Poland’s Donald Tusk urged Spain to follow Poland’s example: “Poland has tightened asylum laws, border procedures, and has built effective barriers on its border with Belarus. Spain must follow our example if Schengen is to survive.”
French President Emmanuel Macron expressed solidarity with Spain and offered assistance, while also strengthening French controls on the border with Spain.
Slovakia’s Robert Fico opposed suspending Spain’s Schengen status, offering help with border controls instead.
Trump’s Response
US President Donald Trump condemned an “invasion” in Ceuta, attacking Spain for “bad management” and “very liberal laws.” He said the crisis would be a “talking point for the midterms.”
“I saw Spain yesterday, and I watched the catastrophe that took place. It looks like an invasion of a country by hundreds of thousands of people,” Trump said during a cabinet meeting. (His numbers were wildly off from official estimates.)
The Bottom Line
Italy has temporarily suspended its Schengen free-travel arrangements with Spain after 60,000 migrants reached the Spanish enclave of Ceuta from Morocco in 24 hours. Italy will carry out checks on arrivals from Spain by air and sea. Spain says most migrants have returned to Morocco. The crisis has exposed EU divisions, with some leaders calling for Spain to tighten border protections and others expressing solidarity. Trump has used the crisis to attack Spain’s immigration policies.
