Italy threatens to suspend Schengen with Spain after over 20,000 migrants cross into Ceuta from Morocco

The Ceuta influx

On 30 July 2026, thousands of people crossed from Morocco into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta. Around midday, large groups breached the border, with many swimming along the coastline to bypass fences. The Guardia Civil and emergency services were overwhelmed, able to assist only the injured. Spanish newspaper El Mundo reported over 20,000 crossings on Thursday alone. Regional authorities declared an "absolute humanitarian and social emergency," noting that more than 1,500 migrants had arrived in the preceding days. At least nine people died attempting the sea crossing. The reception centre reached saturation and could not process the mass arrivals. The Spanish government deployed soldiers to reinforce security. The influx is the largest since May 2021, when over 10,000 people entered Ceuta in two days.

Italy's threat to suspend Schengen

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said Italy was ready to take "extraordinary measures" including suspending the Schengen agreement with Spain. She consulted Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi and convened competent bodies. "Italy will not stand by and watch," she wrote on X.

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

Vice Premier and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani had earlier declared himself "in favour of closing the Schengen area with Spain." He criticised Madrid's plan to grant Spanish, and therefore EU, citizenship to over 500,000 irregular immigrants, arguing it encourages human trafficking. Tajani expressed full confidence in Piantedosi. Vice Premier Matteo Salvini, leader of the far-right League, also called for suspending Schengen and defending Europe's borders, referencing his own trial for blocking migrant arrivals: "I faced years of trial, risking six years in prison, for protecting my country's borders. Sánchez didn't. Suspend Schengen. Defend the borders."

Spain's response

Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares reacted sharply, calling Tajani's message "unworthy" of a partner country. He linked the surge to a recent Spanish Supreme Court ruling that declared immediate pushbacks at the Ceuta border illegal for migrants arriving by sea. According to Spanish interior ministry sources, human trafficking networks are exploiting the ruling to encourage departures and increase pressure on the land border between Europe and Africa.

This message from the foreign minister of a friendly and partner country from which we expect European solidarity and not partisan demagoguery is unworthy.

Albares announced he had summoned the Italian ambassador to Spain, Giuseppe Buccino Grimaldi, for a formal protest on Friday.

The citizenship dispute

Tajani's criticism centred on Spain's plan to grant citizenship to over 500,000 irregular immigrants. He argued this policy "encourages human trafficking" and poses a danger to national security. The Italian government has made border control a cornerstone of its policy, with Meloni vowing not to retreat "a single millimetre" on illegal immigration and to continue defending borders, stopping traffickers, and ensuring effective repatriations.

What happens next

Italy is convening its relevant institutions, and Meloni said the government is prepared to act after those meetings. No formal suspension of Schengen has been enacted, but the threat marks a sharp escalation in EU migration politics. The Spanish government, meanwhile, is focused on managing the immediate humanitarian crisis in Ceuta and has deployed military personnel.