Ceuta crisis tests Rome's EU border solidarity

Italy's decision to temporarily suspend the Schengen Agreement with Spain, following the arrival of tens of thousands of migrants in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, has triggered a public dispute between Rome and Madrid and drawn a rebuke from the European Commission, according to the foreign press.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called on Monday for "united action" on border security, urging EU leaders to strengthen the bloc's borders at critical points rather than engage in mutual recrimination, as reported by The Local Italy and The Guardian.

The measure, which affects people travelling by plane or boat between the two countries, has been presented by analysts less as a meaningful European policy than as a symptom of immigration being used as a 'political tool' across the political spectrum, according to France 24.