Italy has temporarily suspended Schengen arrangements with Spain and tightened air and sea border controls following the entry of large numbers of irregular migrants into Spain’s Ceuta enclave. The report, published on August 1, 2026, said the decision followed the arrival of about 50,000 irregular migrants in Ceuta from Thursday. Italy’s ANSA news agency said Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi acted after an assessment by the committee for immigration and border security analysis.

Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said in a post on X that temporarily suspending the Schengen arrangement was a necessary decision to ensure citizens’ security and protect Europe’s borders. He said the measure is permitted under European agreements and had become unavoidable under the current circumstances. Tajani also said the Ceuta incident showed that management of the European Union’s external borders is a shared responsibility.

Tajani stressed coordinated action by member states against uncontrolled migration, possible security risks and terrorism threats. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez described the mass entry into Ceuta as an attack on Spanish territory and a violation of the country’s territorial integrity, pledging to restore normality as quickly as possible. Spain’s Interior Ministry said more than 48,000 of the roughly 50,000 migrants who entered Ceuta had already returned to Morocco.