Italy suspends Schengen with Spain over Ceuta migrant influx

Italy said on Friday it had temporarily suspended its Schengen agreement with Spain, restoring border checks for people travelling by plane or boat between the two countries, according to The Local Italy. The measure follows the arrival of tens of thousands of migrants in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta in North Africa, which borders Morocco, in what Spain's prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, called a violation of territorial integrity.

The suspension, reported by The Guardian and France 24, comes as the EU grapples with one of its largest migrant crises in recent years. At least 57 people have died trying to reach Ceuta, with as many as 50,000 migrants entering the tiny territory. France has also tightened border checks and increased police numbers at its Spanish frontier, France 24 reported.

The Schengen suspension affects travellers moving between Italy and Spain, including those on ferries crossing the Mediterranean and passengers on flights between the two countries. The move is a significant step for a bloc that prides itself on open internal borders, and it has prompted debate about whether an EU member state can be excluded from the Schengen zone, The Local Italy reported.

For Piemonte, the suspension has practical consequences for the region's substantial trade and travel links with Spain. Turin's Caselle airport serves multiple Spanish destinations, and the region's exporters, particularly in the automotive and food sectors, rely on efficient cross-border logistics. The reintroduction of checks adds friction to journeys that have been seamless for decades, though the measure is described as temporary.

EU countries have called for emergency talks on the sudden inflow of migrants into Ceuta, The Local Italy reported. Spain has deployed the military to restore order in the enclave, with hundreds of migrants entering mainly by swimming. The crisis has exposed divisions within the bloc over migration policy, with some member states calling for a harder line on border enforcement.

The Guardian reported that Sánchez condemned the incident as a violation of Spain's territorial integrity, while other EU countries criticised Madrid over its handling of the border. The Italian government's decision to suspend Schengen reflects a broader European trend toward tighter border controls in response to migration pressures, a development with implications for the free movement of goods and people across the continent.