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Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni defended this Friday the implementation of controls at her borders for people arriving from Spain for "national security" reasons, following the arrival of thousands of migrants in Ceuta.
Meloni explained on her social media her decision to "temporarily suspend the free movement regime provided for by the Schengen Agreement on maritime and air connections with Spain, reintroducing border controls."
"This is an extraordinary measure, adopted to protect national security and prevent possible repercussions for our country. The measure will remain in force only for as long as necessary, paying special attention to limiting any impact on summer tourist flows," she stated.
Likewise, she said that Italy is "ready to support any European initiative to back Spanish institutions that may be necessary to restore full control of the European Union's external borders and face the current situation with determination."
"Defending borders means defending the security of citizens, combating irregular immigration, and striking at the criminal networks that traffic in human beings," she concluded.
Italy's Interior Ministry ordered the reintroduction of checks at ports and airports this Friday for people arriving from Spain due to the crisis in Ceuta following the arrival of thousands of people from Morocco.
The government subsequently clarified that the checks will be random and will only affect citizens of countries outside the European Union arriving from Spain.
[Publicidad]