Rome, Sep 15 (IANS) Italy has extended for another 15 days temporary border controls on air and sea routes from Spain, the Italian Interior Ministry said Tuesday.
Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi notified the European Commission and his counterparts in other EU member states of the decision, which followed a review by the Immigration and Border Security Analysis Committee, the ministry said.
The ministry said that “high levels of risk to internal security” remained, along with a possible threat of “terrorist infiltration.”
Italy first reintroduced the controls with Spain on August 1 following a large influx of migrants into Ceuta, a Spanish enclave on the northern coast of Africa, from neighbouring Morocco. The measure was subsequently extended for another 15 days at the end of August, Xinhua News Agency reported.
Under the temporary measure, Italy has reinstated checks at its air and maritime internal borders with Spain. The Schengen rules normally abolish checks at internal borders among participating countries, while EU rules allow members to temporarily reintroduce such controls in
exceptional circumstances involving serious threats to public policy or internal security.
On August 8, Spain also initiated document checks for all passengers arriving from Italy.
The Spanish government said Italy had unilaterally reintroduced border checks on travellers arriving from Spain on August 1 without prior notification, describing the measures as “unjustified, discriminatory and contrary to the interests of the European Union (EU).”
Spain has called on Italy to withdraw the measures immediately.
Earlier, the Italian government said it would maintain temporary checks on third-country nationals arriving from Spain until at least August 15, citing national security and border-management concerns.
Rome said it “does not accept ultimatums or external pressure” on matters concerning national security and border management.
It also stressed that the controls do not apply to Spanish or other EU citizens travelling by air or sea, adding that Italian border authorities would seek to minimise disruption to legitimate cross-border travel, reports Xinhua news agency.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced the border control measures on July 31 following a massive influx of migrants into Ceuta. About 80,000 people entered the Spanish enclave at the end of July, nearly 75,000 of whom subsequently returned voluntarily.
The influx has fueled tensions among EU member states over border controls and the possible onward movement of migrants within the Schengen area.
–IANS
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