Italy defies Spanish demand to lift border curbs over Ceuta crisis
The dispute over migration pushes relations between the two EU allies to a new era
Spain threatened yesterday to impose restrictions on travellers from Italy unless Rome lifts by Sunday the border controls it introduced last week following a mass influx of migrants into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta.
Italy swiftly responded, saying it would not accept "ultimatums or impositions" from Madrid, adding that it would keep in place its suspension of Schengen rules for non-EU nationals arriving from Spain until at least 15 August.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's conservative government had previously said the more robust travel checks would remain in force until the end of the month.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
The Spanish government said Italy's decision to reintroduce controls on arrivals from Spain was "unjustified, contrary to the interests of the European Union and discriminatory against the Spanish population".
It promised to adopt "proportionate measures" against Italy unless Meloni rolled back the new constraints by Sunday.
However, in a toughly worded statement, Meloni's office said Spanish authorities had themselves warned of a new migrant influx into Ceuta on 15 August. It said it would only reconsider its decision once it was certain there was no new migration wave, no security or terrorism risk to Italy and no irregular migrants heading towards European territory.
Spain's Civil Guard has said it is aware of calls online for a fresh border crossing attempt at Ceuta on 15 August; however, it is not clear how many people might take part.
SPAIN ACCUSES ITALY OF IGNORING FACTS
As many as 72,000 people rushed to cross the border last week, and dozens died in the attempt. Most have since returned to neighbouring Morocco, but hundreds of unaccompanied minors remain in Ceuta.
Italy, which does not share a land border with Spain, justified its decision to partially suspend the EU's border-free Schengen arrangements to prevent any of the migrants who entered Ceuta from travelling to Italy.
There has been no indication that any of them want to travel to Italy or have the money to pay for an airline ticket.
Madrid said the Italian move was based on "spurious arguments" that lacked any factual basis because the migrants who entered Ceuta irregularly could not gain access to the Schengen area.
