• Italy has temporarily suspended the Schengen Agreement on free movement with Spain to safeguard the security of its citizens and defend European borders.
• The closure of sea and air borders with Spain by Italy is likely to affect travellers arriving by plane or ship, who will face new border checks.
• Critics in Spain have dismissed Italy's border closure as symbolic politics driven primarily by domestic considerations, as there are currently no indications that the migrants in Ceuta intend to travel on to Italy.

Italy has temporarily suspended the Schengen Agreement on free movement with Spain, Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said on Friday, describing the move as a necessary decision "to safeguard the security of [Italy's] citizens and defend the European borders."

Tajani announced the step on the social media platform X. Italian news agencies ANSA and Adnkronos had earlier reported that Italy's Interior Ministry in Rome had ordered the closure of sea and air borders with Spain.

Italy shares no land border with Spain, meaning the measure is likely to affect travellers arriving by plane or ship, who will face new border checks.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni had announced the step on Thursday evening following the arrival of large numbers of migrants within a matter of days in the Spanish North African exclave of Ceuta.

Statements by Meloni and other government ministers drew criticism in Spain.

Critics of the right-wing government in Rome dismissed the move as symbolic politics driven primarily by domestic considerations. Meloni's governing coalition came to power in 2022 on a promise to reduce irregular migration.

There are currently no indications that the migrants in Ceuta intend to travel on to Italy. The migrants are also located in the North African exclave, which is neither in the Schengen area nor on the European mainland. Should they attempt to cross the Mediterranean, they would first arrive at an EU external border - meaning they could not in any case be caught by internal border checks.

Meloni's government is also under considerable pressure from the newly founded far-right National Future party, led by former army general Roberto Vannacci. His strongly anti-immigration rhetoric has found resonance among a significant share of voters who support the governing parties.