Italian officials are contemplating closing the Schengen area to Spain following a chaotic Thursday where thousands of migrants breached the border with Morocco in Ceuta. At least nine deaths were reported in the chaos. The border has 'totally collapsed,' according to Spain's Civil Guard.
Italy fears the migration chaos will also reach its territory through the Schengen Agreement. Italy also shares a maritime boundary with Spain in the Mediterranean Sea. In his social media pages, Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs Antonio Tajani said: 'I am in favour of closing the Schengen space with Spain... Irregular and uncontrolled immigration represents a danger to national security.'
Immigration Seen as Fuel for Trafficking
On Instagram, Tajani shared a viral video of the Ceuta border breach. He also said: 'The images coming from Ceuta demonstrate how the Madrid Government's choice to grant Spanish citizenship, therefore European, to over 500,000 irregular immigrants is deeply wrong and encourages human trafficking.'
Tajani was commenting on Spain's programme to grant one-year residence and work permits to undocumented migrants and asylum seekers without criminal records. It was initially meant to benefit 500,000 people, but it has since attracted over a million applicants, including those who swam across from Morocco.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni agreed with Tajani, also sharing a statement on Instagram: 'Italy will not stand idly by. We are convening the relevant bodies, and following these meetings, we are prepared to intervene—including through extraordinary measures—to defend our borders and the safety of our citizens, such as by suspending the Schengen agreement with Spain.'
What Is the Schengen Agreement?
The Schengen Agreement abolished border checks among member states. The Schengen Area covers 29 European countries and benefits over 450 million people living within the region. It is widely seen as part of Europe's shared identity.
The recent statements from Italian officials implying that Spain should be excluded from the Schengen area angered Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares. Retweeting Tajani's statement on X (formerly Twitter), Albares said: 'This message is unbecoming of the Foreign Minister of a partner and friendly country from which we expect European solidarity and not partisan demagoguery.'
Este mensaje es impropio del Ministro de Exteriores de un país socio y amigo del que esperamos solidaridad europea y no demagogia partidista. Los hechos de hoy tienen relación con una sentencia, nada que ver con lo que dice el tuit. He convocado mañana al Embajador de Italia. https://t.co/8ZDSZ1Il5c
— José Manuel Albares (@jmalbares) July 30, 2026
Albares added that he has summoned the Italian Ambassador Giuseppe Buccino Grimaldi to a meeting regarding Tajani's statements. 'Today's events are related to a court ruling, having nothing to do with what the tweet says,' Albares said, referring to Tajani's statement.
Court Ruling Prompts Illegal Mass Migration
Albares was referring to an earlier Supreme Court ruling that migrants caught at sea trying to enter Ceuta and Melilla will not be sent back to Morocco without due process. Moroccans and other illegal migrants passing through Morocco have since braved the Mediterranean coastal waters to reach the Spanish autonomous cities. 'After the Supreme Court ruling, migrants started coming in little by little, and the inflow surged explosively today,' a Spanish Civil Guard said.
Le immagini che arrivano da Ceuta sono impressionanti e dimostrano, ancora una volta, che l’immigrazione clandestina fuori controllo rappresenta una minaccia concreta per la sicurezza dei confini europei.
— Giorgia Meloni (@GiorgiaMeloni) July 30, 2026
Mi sono confrontata con il Ministro dell’Interno Matteo Piantedosi.…
Meloni met with Matteo Piantedosi, the Minister of the Interior of Italy, to plan possible interventions to defend Italy's borders and ensure the safety of Italians. 'The images coming from Ceuta are striking and demonstrate, once again, that uncontrolled illegal immigration poses a concrete threat to the security of Europe's borders... On illegal immigration, we will not yield an inch: defending the borders, stopping human traffickers, and ensuring effective repatriations will continue to be the line of this Government,' Meloni said.
