The Italian government has decided to temporarily suspend the free movement regime with Spain, provided for by the Schengen Agreement, following the crisis created in Ceuta, where thousands of immigrants from Morocco attempted to enter Spanish territory.
Rome's decision comes after heightened tensions that began on the first day of the crisis, when Italian authorities sharply criticized the Spanish government's handling of the situation. Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni earlier warned of the possibility of suspending the implementation of Schengen rules.
"Italy will not stand idly by," declared Meloni, describing the images from Ceuta as "shocking."
The Italian Foreign Minister also reacted to the situation, criticizing Madrid's immigration policies. According to him, the Spanish government's decision to grant Spanish and therefore European citizenship to a large number of irregular migrants was a serious mistake, as according to him it could encourage the activity of human trafficking networks.
The crisis in Ceuta has also brought reactions from European institutions. The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, declared that the European Union will not allow irregular entry into its territory and called for the cessation of dangerous crossings and the crackdown on trafficking networks.
"We will not allow anyone to enter the European Union without respecting our rules," von der Leyen said.
Meanwhile, France and Germany have declared their readiness to support Spain if Madrid asks for help. On the other hand, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said that the European Union should consider the possibility of revising some rules of the Schengen Agreement after the developments in Ceuta.
The crisis has also resonated in the United States. Former US President Donald Trump used the situation to criticize his Democratic political opponents, stating that the footage from Ceuta shows the consequences that, according to him, their policies on immigration could bring.
Meanwhile, Spanish authorities have announced that at least 57 people have died while trying to cross the border into Ceuta. It is suspected that the death toll could be even higher, as several people are reported to have died on the Moroccan side of the border.
According to preliminary data, some of the victims drowned, while others lost their lives during clashes created by the crowd attempting to cross the border defense structures.
