Italy Maintains Border Checks With Spain Over National Security Concerns

Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi stated during a Schengen Commission hearing that Italy will not revoke its suspension of the Schengen Agreement with Spain before August 15. The minister asserted that the decision to impose border checks follows the influx of migrants into Ceuta and is driven by national security concerns rather than political speculation. Piantedosi noted that the measure is within European law and cited other nations, such as Germany, France, and Austria, as examples of countries that have implemented similar internal border controls. He specifically mentioned that France has maintained some closed borders since 2015. Since the restoration of controls with Spain, Italian authorities have made three arrests and rejected 21 non EU citizens. Piantedosi also highlighted a significant decrease in migrant arrivals in Italy, stating that numbers have dropped 55 percent compared to 2025 and 82 percent compared to the first seven months of 2023. He attributed this trend to the pragmatic strategies of the current Meloni government and a previous decline seen in 2018.