Italy extends border controls with Spain

TT

 

Published 20.05

 

Spanish football supporters hold up the flag of the enclave of Ceuta in protest during a match between Inter and Real Madrid in Milan last week. Photo: Bernat Armangue/AP/TT

Italy is extending its border controls with Spain for another 15 days. Spain has announced a reciprocal extension and states it will maintain the measure as long as the Italian controls remain in place.

In early August, Italy suspended Schengen cooperation with Spain and introduced stricter border controls after more than 70,000 migrants had made their way from Morocco to the Spanish enclave of Ceuta.

The extension is being implemented even though only around 5,000 migrants remain in Ceuta; however, the Italian government states that the measure is necessary because "the high risk to internal security persists, alongside a potential threat related to possible terrorist infiltration."