Madrid has demanded that Rome lift border controls introduced after the migrant crisis in Ceuta, threatening otherwise to take retaliatory measures, according to infohub.kz.
In a communiqué sent by the Spanish side to the Italian side, Spain warned of "proportionate measures" if Italy does not lift border checks by August 9, which were introduced after the mass entry of migrants into Ceuta. This was reported by RIA Novosti, citing a translation of a broadcast by the television channel Sexta.
"We call on the Italian government to rectify the situation, stop the checks, and treat Spaniards the same as other Europeans. If this does not happen by the end of Sunday, August 9, Spain will be forced to adopt proportionate measures to protect the interests and dignity of its citizens," the statement said.
Madrid noted that the checks introduced by the Italian authorities have affected the movement of thousands of passengers and created legal uncertainty at the height of the summer tourist season. The Spanish government called the decision unprecedented, unilateral, and taken without prior notice.
"The Spanish government rejected the argument that migrants who entered Ceuta can move freely within the Schengen area. The authorities recalled that the autonomous city has a special regime within Schengen, and the vast majority of migrants who illegally entered there have already returned to Morocco," the statement said.
In addition, Madrid recalled that it had not previously imposed similar restrictions on Italy, despite a significant number of illegal crossings of the EU's external border on the Italian route. Spain noted that it had accepted some migrants who arrived on the Italian island of Lampedusa in 2023 and had repeatedly allowed ships carrying people rescued in the central Mediterranean to dock at its ports.
Earlier, it was reported that EU interior ministers expressed support for Spain after the migrant crisis in Ceuta and agreed to strengthen border protection.
Recall that on the night of July 30-31, it became known that thousands of Moroccan migrants had breached the border in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta in North Africa — Spanish authorities mobilized the army.
After that, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said that the country is ready to take extraordinary measures to protect borders and the safety of citizens, including the temporary restoration of border controls on the border with Spain.
Spanish authorities also stressed that by Friday evening, most migrants had left Ceuta and returned to Morocco. Initially, it was reported that at least 57 migrants died in a stampede while trying to get ashore over the wall topped with a border fence, and their bodies were recovered from the water.
Morocco has explained what led to the migrant influx into Spain.