Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani posted on X that he supports suspending Spain from the Schengen free-movement zone, citing the mass migration crisis in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta. Spain summoned Italy's ambassador for a reprimand in response to the statement.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani publicly called for suspending Spain from the Schengen area early Friday, just minutes after a government source confirmed Italy was considering the move — rapidly escalating the diplomatic crisis over the mass migration wave in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta.
Tajani wrote on X at around 00:25 Jerusalem: 'I am in favor of removing Spain from Schengen. Irregular and uncontrolled immigration poses a danger to national security. The images coming from Ceuta show how the Madrid government's decision to grant Spanish, and therefore European, citizenship to more than 500,000 irregular migrants is fundamentally wrong and encourages human trafficking.'
The development came after a series of reports from Thursday evening. At 21:44 Jerusalem, The Zioneer first reported that Italy was considering suspending Schengen with Spain, citing a Reuters report. Shortly after, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni confirmed the readiness, calling images from Ceuta 'shocking.' At 00:01 Jerusalem, The Zioneer reported that an Italian government source had told Reuters the consideration was underway. Tajani's statement 24 minutes later marked the first official call from a senior Italian minister.
The Ceuta crisis has seen tens of thousands of Moroccan migrants cross into the enclave since Thursday evening. At 23:54 Jerusalem, The Zioneer reported that the Spanish Guardia Civil estimated up to 40,000 people had crossed the border. At 00:05 Jerusalem, Spain deployed 60 security personnel to assist local forces. The crisis has reignited debate over European border security, with Italy's right-wing government taking a hard line against Spain's more permissive approach to regularization.
Spain responded by summoning the Italian ambassador for a reprimand. The diplomatic rift is now deepening, with no immediate response from other EU member states. Whether Italy's position will gain broader European support remains unresolved.
5 developments
- DevelopingSpain deploys 60 security personnel to Ceuta as migrant crisis continues
- DevelopingSpain rejects national emergency declaration for Ceuta migrant surge
- DevelopingItalian Foreign Minister Tajani Condemns Hamas Attack in Kfar Yair
- StrongTrump calls Spain a 'lost cause,' orders Treasury Secretary to cut trade ties
Source and signal
- Open-source intake