Italy Extends Schengen Suspension with Spain by Another Week as Ministers Plan Talks
Italy has extended by another week its suspension of the European Union's border-free Schengen travel arrangements with Spain, an Italian government source said on Friday, as the two countries prepare ministerial talks aimed at lifting the controls. A Spanish government spokesperson said the interior ministers of both countries would work over the coming week on lifting the border controls.
Madrid recently extended its own matching suspension with Rome until October 22. Italy first suspended the Schengen arrangements with Spain on July 31, after more than 72,000 migrants rushed into Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta from neighbouring Morocco, and has repeatedly prolonged the measure since. Rome argues that the presence of thousands of illegal migrants in Spanish territory poses significant risks to internal security and a potential threat of terrorist infiltration.
Madrid has described Italy's actions as unjust, contrary to EU interests and discriminatory towards the population of Spain. The Spanish spokesperson said the planned ministerial talks followed a conversation between Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on the sidelines of this week's European Council summit. The Italian source said only that the ministers would in the coming days explore alternative forms of cooperation between the two countries.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：西班牙北非飞地休达与摩洛哥之间的边境围栏延伸入海。图片来源：Mario Sánchez Bueno，Wikimedia Commons，CC BY-SA 2.0。Photo: The border fence between Spain's enclave of Ceuta and Morocco, extending into the sea. Image: Mario Sánchez Bueno, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0.
