Italy has suspended the free movement agreement with Spain, citing the migrant crisis in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, according to a report in ynet.
Italy has formally suspended the free movement agreement with Spain, according to a report by ynet at 19:41 Jerusalem. The move confirms earlier unverified reports that emerged through geopolitical monitoring channels and a Hebrew-language news outlet, which had said Italy was closing its border with Spain over the migrant crisis in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta.
The diplomatic dispute escalated earlier Friday, when Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani supported closing the Schengen border with Spain. Spain responded by summoning the Italian ambassador. At 19:02 Jerusalem, reports indicated Finland and Austria had joined Italy's call. Minutes later, simultaneously published reports suggested Italy had suspended the Schengen agreement and then closed its border, with one channel describing the Spanish regime as a threat to Europe. Those reports were not independently confirmed by official sources in Rome or Madrid. The ynet report now provides the first mainstream confirmation of the suspension.
As The Zioneer reported earlier Friday, Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares summoned the Italian ambassador, writing that Tajani's statement was 'unbecoming of a foreign minister of a friend and partner.' The crisis stems from Spain's handling of irregular migration from Morocco, including a decision to grant citizenship to some 500,000 migrants.
The ynet report has not been independently confirmed by official Italian or Spanish government statements. The exact terms of the suspension and its duration remain unclear. The Italian government has not issued an official statement.
4 developments
- DevelopingSpain summons Italian ambassador after Tajani backs closing Schengen border over Ceuta migrant crisis
- DevelopingMacron orders reinforced border controls with Spain amid Ceuta migrant crisis
- StrongDenmark's PM calls for EU to consider suspending Schengen over Spain's migration crisis
- DevelopingAbu Ali Express: European media, political circles increasingly call for isolating Spain over Ceuta crisis
Source and signal
- Open-source intake