Following recent events in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, Italy has chosen to temporarily suspend Schengen rules with Spain – here’s what it means for travellers and how long reimposed border controls will last.
Italy recently took the decision to temporarily suspend the Schengen agreement with Spain from August 1st, after tens of thousands of migrants entered Ceuta, Spain’s enclave in north Africa.
An estimated 50,000 to 60,000 migrants entered Ceuta last week, with over 48,000 returning to Morocco within a day. At least 60 people died trying to reach Ceuta, according to Spanish officials.
Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called the Schengen suspension an “extraordinary measure” intended to “safeguard national security and prevent possible repercussions for our nation.”
The Schengen Area allows passport-free travel across 29 European countries, but member states can temporarily reintroduce border controls in exceptional situations, such as serious threat to public policy or internal security.
According to information from the European Commission, the reasons behind Italy’s temporary suspension are: “Threat to public policy, internal security, and the management of migration flows due to recent events in the Spanish autonomous city of Ceuta, resulting from large-scale irregular entries of third-country nationals, with a risk of secondary movements within the Schengen area”.
READ ALSO: Italy suspends Schengen agreement with Spain
What has actually changed for travellers?
The suspension – currently in force until September 1st – essentially means that border checks have been reimposed and there will be more document checks for travellers entering Italy from Spain.
Since Italy does not share a land border with Spain, the change affects arriving air and maritime traffic only.
The targeted checks, however, apply only to citizens from outside the EU, sometimes referred to as non-EU or third-country nationals, so nothing will change for Italian, Spanish or other EU citizens, who will need to have a valid identity card or passport to travel, as before.
The measure aims to verify that travellers hold the valid documents to enter Italy legally, according to the Italian Ministry of Interior.
So far, the checks haven’t caused longer queues at Italian airports, as reported by Adnkronos.
However, reports suggest that Italian police fear the suspension could clog border points.
The move “threatens to paralyse operations at national airports and ports and place a severe strain on state police officers,” the Italian police union Silp Cgil warned.
READ ALSO: Can an EU member state be kicked out of Schengen zone?
