Escalate the diplomatic shock between Spain and Italy for the Ceuta crisis

Barcelona"Italy does not accept ultimatums or impositions from abroad regarding national security and border control." This is how the the italian government's statement, led by right-wing populist Giorgia Meloni, with which the country announces that it will maintain, at least until August 15, border controls with Spain imposed since August 1 following the massive arrival of migrants in Ceuta last week. It is the response to the ultimatum from the Spanish government, which has requested the restoration of free movement and has warned that, if normality is not restored before Sunday, it will take "measures", hinting that it could also suspend the application of the Schengen area with Italy.

Despite the Spanish ultimatum, the Italian executive considers that the risks of "security and terrorism" for Italy still persist and, for this reason, has decided to maintain restrictions towards "a friendly country like Spain". Furthermore, it conditions the review of the normalization of free movement on Spain guaranteeing that "there is no new wave" of migrants. For this reason, the statement postpones the review of border controls until at least August 15, once, according to it, the risk of "a new wave of migrants in Ceuta" has been overcome.

The Italian Interior Minister, Matteo Piantedosi, has strengthened the government's position ensuring that "it is difficult to argue that these risk conditions do not exist at the moment", as European treaties allow for exceptional measures to be adopted when there is a potential danger to national security. Piantedosi insisted that the suspension of controls is "temporary", that it is applied selectively and that it has no consequences for European Union citizens. He also announced that, once August 15 has passed, the executive will assess whether the conditions are met to lift the restrictions and, for the first time since the outbreak of the diplomatic crisis, has opened the door to a negotiated solution by showing willingness to maintain a "constructive dialogue" with the Spanish government once the circumstances that, in his opinion, justify the partial suspension of Schengen disappear.

Pedro Sánchez: "No migrant can or will be able to enter the Schengen area freely"

In the Spanish statement, Madrid affirms that none of the migrants who accessed Ceuta "could or can freely enter the Schengen area, as the autonomous city enjoys a special status within this space, and almost all have already returned to Morocco". The very harsh Spanish statement recalls that, according to Frontex, Italy "is the member state that has registered the highest number of irregular crossings in recent years, with figures that double those of Spain, and that since 2022 it has not complied with the Dublin Regulation, exerting additional migratory pressure on the rest of the member states".

The statement adds that, on the other hand, Spain has never imposed border controls on Italy and that, on the contrary, it has always acted with solidarity, welcoming part of the migrants who arrived in Lampedusa in 2023 and regularly opening its ports to migrants rescued along the central Mediterranean route.

Finally, the note concludes by expressing the hope that "Europeanism, common sense, and good faith will prevail". In this regard, the Spanish government argued that "governments exist to promote understanding between countries and the general interest of their populations, not to create sterile divisions and conflicts motivated by internal electoral interests".

Albares: "The controls are directed against the dignity of the Spanish people"

The head of Spanish diplomacy, José Manuel Albares, has assured that the controls imposed on travelers from Spain are an "unjustified" measure that attacks "the dignity of Spaniards". The Minister of Foreign Affairs, who has traveled to Colombia to attend the inauguration of the new president, Abelardo de la Espriella, has stated that the situation in Ceuta is "channeled" and has warned that the decisions made regarding the Schengen area weaken "the unity" of the European Union.

For this reason, he has called for rectification by the Italian government and, in the same vein as the statement issued by Madrid, has recalled that Spain has always acted "with solidarity" when Italy has been affected by migratory crises. Thus, he has called for the resolution of the crisis to pass "through diplomatic and friendly channels" and has made it clear that he will act "with firmness" in defense of the dignity of Spanish citizens if the situation is not reversed.