Italy calls for Spain to be suspended from Schengen after Ceuta migrant crossings

Why Italy is making the threat

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni issued the warning on Thursday, July 30, after speaking with Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi. Writing on X, she said Italy was prepared to adopt “extraordinary measures” to defend its borders and protect national security, including “suspending the Schengen Agreement with Spain.”

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani also backed the proposal, saying he supported closing the Schengen Area with Spain.

The diplomatic row stems from a sharp rise in irregular migrant crossings into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta from neighbouring Morocco, an issue that has become increasingly politically charged.

Spain reacted swiftly. Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares summoned Italy’s ambassador, criticising Tajani’s comments as partisan political rhetoric rather than an example of European solidarity.

Can Italy actually suspend Schengen with Spain?

The short answer is no.

Italy cannot unilaterally expel Spain from the Schengen Area or suspend Spain’s membership. That decision is not within the power of any single country.

However, European Union rules do allow individual Schengen countries to temporarily reintroduce internal border controls in exceptional situations where they believe there is a serious threat to public order or internal security.

These temporary controls have been used before by several countries during major events, terrorist threats, migration pressures and the Covid-19 pandemic.

Why has Spain summoned Italy’s ambassador?

Spain responded swiftly to the comments from Rome.

Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares summoned Italy’s ambassador after Antonio Tajani publicly backed the proposal. Albares accused the Italian foreign minister of engaging in partisan demagoguery instead of showing the European solidarity needed to address migration challenges.

For now, the disagreement remains a diplomatic and political dispute rather than a practical one for travellers. No temporary Italian border controls affecting arrivals from Spain have been announced, meaning flights continue to operate under the normal Schengen arrangements.

Could Spain-Italy flights face passport checks?

Possibly, but not at the moment.

European Union rules allow any Schengen country to temporarily reintroduce internal border controls in exceptional circumstances if there is a serious threat to public order or internal security.

If Italy chose to use those powers, travellers arriving from Spain could be asked to show a passport or national identity card at airports, ports or land border crossings. Additional document checks could also mean longer waiting times.

However, this would not remove the right of EU citizens to travel freely between Spain and Italy, nor would it require visas. It would simply mean temporary border checks while entering Italy.

At the time of writing, Italy has announced no such measures, and passengers travelling between the two countries are unaffected.