Italy is extending temporary border controls on travelers arriving from Spain for another 15 days, citing the continuing migrant crisis in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta and the security concerns it has created.
The Italian Interior Ministry said the suspension of free movement under the Schengen agreement, which was introduced on August 1 for one month, will now remain in place for an additional 15 days. Rome said the decision was based on an assessment by the Committee for the Analysis of Immigration and Border Security.
“The decision was taken in accordance with the analysis of the Committee for the Analysis of Immigration and Border Security due to the continued existence of the circumstances that motivated the reintroduction of controls on August 1,” the ministry said, according to AFP.
Italy also said it had taken into account measures already adopted by Spain in cooperation with the European Union, aimed at bringing the situation in Ceuta back to normal as quickly as possible.
The extension follows a mass influx of migrants into Ceuta last month. Spanish authorities have said around 70,000 people arrived from Morocco, while other reports put the figure at at least 72,000. Several thousand migrants remain in the enclave, with estimates ranging from about 5,000 to 10,000.
