Spain threatens retaliation if Italy fails to lift border controls after Ceuta crossings
Summary
Spain threatened to take action against Italy if Italy does not remove border controls set after thousands of migrants crossed into the Spanish territory of Ceuta. Italy partially suspended the Schengen agreement with Spain to stop migrants from traveling onward, which Spain called unfair and demanded to be reversed.Key Facts
- About 78,000 migrants from Morocco arrived in Ceuta in a short time last week.
- Around 100 people died during the crossings.
- Italy closed sea and air entry points from Spain and tightened land borders to prevent migrants from moving further to Italy.
- Spain called Italy’s actions unjustified and warned of counter-measures if Italy did not reverse them by August 9.
- Italy does not share a land border with Spain but suspended part of the EU’s border-free Schengen rules with Spain.
- Spain said most migrants have already returned to Morocco and disputed Italy’s claim that migrants could reach other Schengen countries.
- The migrant crossings worsened tensions between Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and Italy’s leader Giorgia Meloni.
- The EU Migration Commissioner blamed false information spread by criminal groups for encouraging the mass crossing.
- Nearly 1,400 children remain in Ceuta after the crossing, with Spanish authorities focusing on their care.
- Morocco criticized Spain’s Supreme Court ruling that stopped summary returns of migrants to Morocco as a cause of the crisis.
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