Italy announced on Monday that it will extend its suspension of open-border arrangements with Spain for an additional 15 days. This decision follows a significant influx of migrants into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta over the past month. The restrictions were initially imposed to manage the situation more effectively, reflecting ongoing concerns about migration across the region.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who has taken a hard line against illegal immigration, is under pressure from a new far-right party, Futuro Nazionale, whose rhetoric is resonating with some voters ahead of elections due next year. The suspension of the EU passport-free Schengen arrangements – which Rome’s right-wing government says was brought in to make sure no migrants entering Ceuta could travel on to Italy – had been due to expire on Monday. The decision to extend the suspension “was taken … due to the persistence of the factors that had led to the reintroduction of the measures on Aug.
1,” Italy’s interior ministry said in a statement.
The ministry said Italy was aware of “the steps already undertaken by Spain, together with the European Union, to help bring the situation in the area back to normal in the near future.
