Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has called for the temporary suspension of certain provisions of the Schengen Agreement following the arrival of hundreds of irregular migrants from Morocco into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta.
Reacting to the latest developments, Meloni described the scenes from Ceuta as “shocking” and warned that Italy would not remain passive in the face of growing migration pressures.
“Italy will not stand by and do nothing,” the prime minister said, urging stronger European measures to address the renewed influx of migrants at the EU’s external borders.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani echoed her position, backing calls for tougher migration controls and criticizing Spain’s recent migration policy.
According to Tajani, the Spanish government’s decision to grant Spanish—and therefore European Union—citizenship to more than 500,000 irregular migrants was a serious mistake.
“The images coming from Ceuta demonstrate that the Madrid government’s decision to grant Spanish, and consequently European, citizenship to more than 500,000 irregular migrants is deeply misguided and encourages human trafficking,” Tajani wrote on the social media platform X.
The remarks come as Spain faces a new wave of migrant arrivals in Ceuta, prompting Spanish authorities to deploy additional security forces and military personnel to help manage the situation in the North African enclave bordering Morocco.
Meloni’s comments are likely to intensify the ongoing European debate over migration policy, border security, and the future implementation of the Schengen free movement system as several EU member states push for stricter controls in response to rising irregular migration.
