Italy suspends Schengen free movement with Spain after Ceuta migrant surge
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Italy suspended its Schengen free-travel agreement with Spain on Friday, imposing passport checks on air and sea travelers, the Interior Ministry announced. The decision came after more than 50,000 migrants crossed from Morocco into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta in a crisis that Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called a “violation of territorial integrity.” Spain said most migrants have since returned to Morocco.
Italy's Border Measures
Italy's Interior Ministry said the suspension applies to air and sea travel between Italy and Spain, requiring passport checks for all travelers. The measure does not affect Italian, Spanish or other EU citizens, according to Informburo.kz. Rome also announced tighter controls on its land border with France under a bilateral agreement, aiming to block undocumented migrants. The move is temporary, but no end date has been set.
Ceuta Migrant Influx
On Friday, between 50,000 and 60,000 migrants crossed from Morocco into Ceuta, marking the largest such surge in years. Spanish authorities reported 57 bodies found on their side of the border, with casualties also feared on the Moroccan side, El Pais reported via Tengrinews. By Friday evening, 48,300 had returned voluntarily to Morocco, according to Spain's Interior Ministry. Prime Minister Sánchez thanked Morocco for cooperation and announced the placement of buoys to create a sea barrier. Spain also closed its maritime and air borders in response.
Political Fallout in Italy
The suspension prompted sharp criticism from the centre-left Democratic Party, with lawmaker Piero De Luca calling it a “demagogic” and symbolic step unlikely to solve migration. Opposition figures argued there is no concrete evidence that migrants arriving in Ceuta aim to reach Italy. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government, which won power in 2022 on an anti-immigration platform, faces rising pressure from the far-right movement led by former general Roberto Vannacci. Analysts view the border clampdown as an effort to project toughness amid heated domestic debate.
What's Next
Italy’s temporary suspension is expected to remain in place for an initial period, though authorities have not specified a duration. It remains unclear whether the European Commission will challenge the measure or other EU states will follow suit, as Brussels grapples with growing demands to revise Schengen rules.
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Italy suspends Schengen free movement with Spain after Ceuta migrant surge
