Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said Thursday night that the crisis in Ceuta proves illegal immigration threatens European border security, and that Italy is prepared to take extraordinary measures—including suspending the Schengen Agreement with Spain—to protect its borders, according to i24NEWS. Meloni also vowed to crack down on human traffickers and continue effective repatriations.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni confirmed Thursday evening that Italy is ready to suspend the Schengen Agreement with Spain, citing the ongoing migrant crisis in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta as a direct threat to European border security. The statement, reported by i24NEWS, follows earlier reports that Italy was considering such a move amid a mass influx of Moroccan migrants into Ceuta.
Meloni described the images from Ceuta as evidence that illegal immigration endangers Europe's borders, and said Italy would take extraordinary measures—including the Schengen suspension—to protect its citizens. She also pledged to intensify efforts against human traffickers and to continue repatriating those not entitled to stay.
As The Zioneer reported earlier Thursday, the crisis in Ceuta has seen thousands of Moroccan migrants cross the border fence, with Spanish authorities estimating up to 40,000 arrivals. The Meloni government's readiness to suspend Schengen represents a significant escalation in border policy, though it remains a conditional statement of preparedness rather than a finalized decision.
5 developments
- DevelopingSpain deploys 60 security personnel to Ceuta as migrant crisis continues
- DevelopingSpain rejects national emergency declaration for Ceuta migrant surge
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- StrongTrump calls Spain a 'lost cause,' orders Treasury Secretary to cut trade ties
Source and signal
- Open-source intake