ROME — Italy has temporarily suspended its Schengen arrangements with Spain, imposing border controls on non-European Union nationals arriving from the country. The move follows a mass influx of migrants into Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta from neighboring Morocco.
An estimated 60,000 migrants crossed into Ceuta around July 31. While most returned to Morocco in the days following the crisis, between 3,000 and 5,000 migrants remained in Ceuta as of Aug. 4.
The remaining group largely consisted of men from sub-Saharan Africa. Many set up camps on the beach in Ceuta, refusing to leave. The group also included 862 migrant minors, who are protected from deportation under international law.
Ceuta authorities said their migrant processing centers had collapsed under the strain of the arrivals, creating a humanitarian challenge for the Spanish territory.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said the controls would verify eligibility for entry into Italy for non-EU nationals. The decision came as several European countries, including Italy, called for restricting Spain's access to the Schengen Area during the crisis.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez responded on social media, saying Spain had recorded fewer irregular arrivals than other Mediterranean countries.
Sánchez also thanked Rabat for its cooperation in tackling illegal migration, playing down claims that Morocco deliberately facilitated the July 31 influx. Some reports suggested Morocco had assisted the crossings.
The Trump administration criticized the Spanish government, calling Spain's approach to migration weak, according to reports at the time.
Along the road between Tanger Med Port on Morocco's coast and the border town of Fnideq, groups of men were seen walking under the sun, appearing exhausted in a long retreat from the Ceuta area after the initial crossings.
