Ceuta crisis turns Schengen suspension into a border politics test

Italy's decision to temporarily suspend the Schengen arrangement with Spain, following the arrival of tens of thousands of migrants in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, has been interpreted by geopolitical analysts less as a meaningful European policy and more as a symbolic political gesture, according to France 24.

The measure, which impacts people travelling by plane or boat between the two countries, was announced after as many as 50,000 migrants entered the tiny territory from Morocco, an event Spain's prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, called a violation of territorial integrity, the Guardian reported.

Dr. Manlio Graziano, founder and director of the Nicholas Spykman International Center for Geopolitical Analysis, told France 24 that across the EU, immigration is being used as a political tool across the political spectrum, with Italy's suspension presented as a symptom of a broader trend rather than a coherent border strategy.