Italy caused a stir when it called to shut Spain out of the EU's visa-free Schengen travel zone after the Spanish enclave of Ceuta in Morocco was overwhelmed this week by more than 60,000 migrant arrivals.
This crisis is the largest surge of irregular arrivals ever recorded on a single day in EU territory. Although Ceuta is located in North Africa, this crisis has sparked vivid concerns among European governments.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Thursday said Spain should be suspended from the Schengen area, as she described the images from Ceuta showing the migrants arriving as "shocking" and calling for "extraordinary measures" to be taken.
Spain blasted Italy's "demagoguery" and summoned the country's ambassador to Madrid to lodge a protest.
Finland and Denmark backed Italy's request while France, Portugal and Germany have been less offensive, calling for the "protection of the EU's borders".
