Italy and Spain Clash Over Schengen as Ceuta Migration Crisis Boils Over

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, along with Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, have called for Spain to be removed from the Schengen free-travel area. The move follows reports that thousands of migrants forcibly entered Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta from Morocco.

Meloni wrote on X that images from Ceuta were shocking and demonstrated that uncontrolled illegal immigration poses a real threat to Europe's border security. She vowed to take action, including extraordinary measures, to defend Italy's borders.

Tajani went further by blaming Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's migration policy, which aims to legalize hundreds of thousands of undocumented migrants, calling it "profoundly wrong" and claiming it incentivizes human trafficking.

Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares summoned the Italian ambassador in a sign of serious diplomatic displeasure. He publicly rebuked Tajani, saying his comments were "unbecoming" of a partner country and amounted to partisan demagoguery.

The dispute comes as Spain also battles deadly wildfires. Manfred Weber, president of the European Parliament's largest political group, the European People's Party, called for tougher action on migration, urging immediate enforcement of the Migration Pact.

EU Migration Commissioner Magnus Brunner said the Commission supports Spain in protecting its borders, including in Ceuta. A Commission spokesperson praised close cooperation between Morocco and Spain, noting Morocco is a key and trusted EU partner for migration and border management.