Italy has temporarily suspended the EU Schengen free-travel agreement with Spain. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Reuters.
Under the Schengen Agreement, there should be no border controls at internal borders between member states. However, Italy was forced to temporarily suspend this rule due to the Ceuta crisis. Ceuta is a Spanish enclave in North Africa, where tensions have recently risen due to an increased flow of migrants.
This decision was made to strengthen internal security measures. According to the rules of the Schengen Agreement, such temporary restrictions can be introduced in exceptional cases, for example, in the event of a serious threat to public order or internal security.
According to Reuters, this measure may affect relations between Spain and Italy, but there are few official comments so far. Italian authorities have stated that the decision is temporary and that normal operations will resume once the situation stabilizes.
It is worth recalling that the Schengen Agreement is a key element of free movement and trade in Europe. Such restrictions are rare and are applied only in emergency situations.