Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni urged Spain to be suspended from the EU’s passport-free Schengen travel zone after thousands of migrants entered the Spanish North African enclave of Ceuta from Morocco. Speaking hours after Italy’s foreign minister made a similar request, Meloni said the Italian government was coordinating with relevant authorities and could move towards “exceptional measures”, including suspending Spain from Schengen. Meloni cited footage and accounts from Ceuta, where migrants, including children, swam to reach the enclave. The prime minister said the images were “shocking” and added that Italy would not “stand idly by”. According to Spain’s delegation in Ceuta, at least nine people died during the sea crossing. Meloni said the scale of the attempt raised serious concerns for Italy. Tajani Pushes suspension Over Irregular MigrationBefore Meloni’s comments, Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani had also called for Spain to be excluded from Schengen. He argued that irregular and uncontrolled migration created risks to national security. Tajani criticised Madrid’s decision to grant Spanish citizenship to more than 500,000 irregular immigrants, saying the move encouraged human trafficking. He said images from Ceuta showed why, in his view, the Spanish government’s approach was wrong and fuelled exploitation of people attempting to cross the Mediterranean. The foreign minister’s remarks followed Spain’s handling of the situation at Ceuta, where people arrived after crossing from neighbouring Morocco. Spain Rejects The CriticismSpain rejected the allegations and dismissed the call for punitive measures. Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Luis Albares accused Tajani of using migration issues for political purposes, and said his comments were improper for a partner and “friendly country” that should offer European solidarity rather than “partisan demagoguery”. The Spanish government’s response came as Italy stepped up pressure inside EU discussions over migration and border policy. Schengen Rules And Italy’s Broader PositionThe Schengen Area is Europe’s passport-free travel system. It allows people to travel across the internal borders of 29 participating countries without routine border checks. While Meloni and Tajani focused on suspending Spain specifically, Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini went further, calling for the suspension of the entire Schengen system. The dispute reflects wider disagreement within the EU on how to manage irregular migration, shared border responsibilities and the conditions for operating passport-free travel between member states. Join the discussion? 31 JUly 2026
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