Italy and Spain have agreed to lift border controls on each other’s citizens, the interior ministry in Rome said on Thursday, ending a three-month dispute triggered by the rush of migrants into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta.
– Italy’s right-wing government first suspended its open-border arrangements with Spain on July 31, saying it wanted to make sure no migrants entering Ceuta could travel on to its territory.
– Madrid responded by taking similar action against Rome, describing the Italian measures as “unjust, contrary to European Union interests, and discriminatory to the population of Spain”.
– The Italian and Spanish interior ministers spoke on the phone and agreed not to extend their suspension of the European Union’s open-border Schengen arrangements, the Italian statement said.
– “The decision, reached after a careful assessment of the situation, will be accompanied by enhanced information-sharing measures to ensure the full security of the common Schengen area,” the ministry added.