Italy suspends Schengen agreement with Spain after thousands of migrants storm border | World | News
Italy has suspended the Schengen agreement with Spain after 60,000 migrants broke into Spanish territory.
The Italian Ministry of the Interior has ordered the closure of the sea and air borders with Spain. Italian press agency ANSA explained the decision came after information gathered and analysed by the Committee on Immigration and Border Security, chaired by Minister Matteo Piantedosi this morning at the Interior Ministry.
The ministry also spoke to his French counterpart Laurent Nuñez, and the two countries have also reportedly agreed to strengthen controls along their land border.
Spain’s interior ministry, which had earlier refused to share estimates from the border, released its own figure after Mr Vivas spoke, estimating that 50,000 had crossed into the territory since Thursday. Around half are thought to have returned to Morocco.
Fires and clashes have reportedly been started amid violent clashes after thousands of migrants stormed Ceuta – a Spanish territory in North Africa – on Thursday.
Ceuta and Melilla are located on the northern shores of the Mediterranean coast at the tip of Africa. Both autonomous cities belong to Spain and share the European Union‘s only land borders with Africa. Morocco does not officially recognize Ceuta and Melilla as Spanish territory and often refers to them as occupied lands.
Magnus Brunner, the European Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration, said on Friday that no movement of people from Ceuta to the European mainland is taking place.
French President Emmanuel Macron said he supports the “ongoing cooperation with Morocco, which has already enabled more than 40,000 returns from Ceuta to Morocco today,” and added he “asked the Interior Minister to strengthen controls at our border with Spain if necessary”.
The UK Government has offered support to Spain after thousands of migrants crossed into Ceuta in North Africa, Andy Burnham has said. Mr Burnham was also asked about migrant crossings throughout Europe, including over the English Channel to the UK.
“It’s a concerning situation and I know people will see those scenes and want something to be done, more to be done,” he replied.
