Italy suspends Schengen with Spain after 60,000 migrants surge at Ceuta, 34 dead

The Ceuta emergency

An estimated 60,000 migrants attempted to cross into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta from Morocco in the space of a few hours, according to Spanish authorities. At least 34 people died while trying to reach the coast and 30 were arrested during clashes at the border. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez travelled to Ceuta and described the event as a direct challenge to national control.

What happened is an attack on Spain's territorial sovereignty.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called the images from the enclave unacceptable and called for rapid returns. Madrid stressed that the crisis was not linked to its decision to regularise 500,000 migrants but to a recent Supreme Court ruling that, it said, criminal networks had exploited.

Italy's border closure

Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi chaired a meeting of the Committee for the Analysis of Immigration and Border Security at the Viminale on the morning of 31 July. Following the meeting, the ministry ordered the suspension of the Schengen agreement with Spain, shutting maritime and air borders to travellers from the Iberian peninsula. The measure was justified on the grounds of a serious threat to internal security and public order.

Piantedosi also spoke by telephone with French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez. The two agreed to strengthen controls along the land border between Italy and France under existing police cooperation agreements.

International reactions

The United States accused Spain of deliberate efforts to encourage illegal immigration into Europe. A State Department statement said the incident was the direct consequence of Spanish government actions enabling mass irregular migration, adding that Washington stood with Europeans against a violation of sovereignty and human rights. Former President Donald Trump also weighed in, warning that a similar crisis would hit the United States within three years.

Rome's move prompted an immediate diplomatic response from Madrid. Spain's foreign minister summoned the Italian ambassador, stating that a friendly country should offer solidarity, not demagoguery. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni had earlier signalled her government's readiness to invoke extraordinary instruments, describing the Ceuta scenes as a concrete threat to European border security.

The images coming from Ceuta are shocking and show that uncontrolled illegal immigration represents a concrete threat to the security of European borders.

How Schengen suspensions work

Under the Schengen Borders Code, a member state may reintroduce temporary border controls when it faces a serious threat to public order or internal security. For unforeseeable events, controls can be imposed immediately for up to 10 days and extended to a maximum of 20 days. In predictable situations, the initial period is limited to 30 days, with possible prolongations up to six months, or three years in exceptional circumstances. Since 2006 the European Commission has recorded 498 such notifications; Italy has resorted to the measure 17 times, most recently for a few days in July during a gathering in the Val di Susa and continuously at the Slovenian border since 2023.

The images from Ceuta are unacceptable.

What comes next

Italy's suspension will remain in force for the duration required to address the threat. The government is expected to notify Brussels of the exact scope and timeframe. Spain's diplomatic protest reflects a deepening rift between the two EU partners over migration policy, while France's parallel reinforcement of land controls with Italy suggests a broader tightening along Europe's internal frontiers.