Italy's foreign minister, Antonio Tajani, has expressed support for suspending Spain's participation in the Schengen area due to the ongoing crisis at the Ceuta border.
Tajani also criticized the Spanish government's decision to grant citizenship to over 500,000 irregular immigrants, calling it "profoundly wrong" and saying it encourages human trafficking. While one source specifies "over 500,000," other reports state the figure is "hundreds of thousands."
Spanish authorities recovered the bodies of nine people who reportedly attempted to swim from Morocco to Ceuta. The Board of Spokespersons of the Ceuta Assembly described the Spanish government's response as "clearly insufficient."
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has called for suspending the Schengen agreement or expelling Spain from the free-travel zone. Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini also advocated for Spain's suspension.
Spain's Foreign Minister, José Manuel Albares, summoned the Italian ambassador and rebuked Tajani's comments as "unbecoming."
Manfred Weber, President of the European Parliament's European People's Party, called for tougher action on migration in response to the Ceuta crisis. European Migration Commissioner Magnus Brunner said the Commission has been supporting Spain in protecting its borders, including in Ceuta.
The Schengen area, comprising 29 European signatory countries, allows free movement without internal border controls. The dispute over Ceuta highlights tensions within the bloc over migration management.