Borrell furious with Italy – No state has the right to unilaterally exclude another member from the Schengen Zone

No European Union state has the right to unilaterally exclude another country from the Schengen Agreement, stated the former head of European diplomacy. Former EU diplomacy chief Josep Borrell stated that no EU member state has the right to unilaterally exclude another country from the Schengen Agreement or suspend its participation in it. "It is impossible. Under EU law, no member state can unilaterally suspend another state's participation in the Schengen zone. Such a possibility simply does not exist in the legal structure of the EU," he wrote on X, commenting on statements by Italian authorities regarding their readiness to suspend the Schengen Agreement with Spain for free border transit, due to the influx of irregular migrants in Ceuta.

Earlier, Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albarez stated that he summoned the Italian Ambassador following the comments of his counterpart Antonio Tajani regarding the intention to suspend the Schengen Agreement. According to Spanish media reports, thousands of migrants managed to reach Ceuta by swimming and on foot, bypassing the breakwater separating the city from Morocco. According to radio station Cadena SER, 49,000 undocumented migrant arrivals may have reached Ceuta over the last 24 hours. Furthermore, at least 19 people lost their lives attempting to reach the city. Against the backdrop of the unfolding migration crisis, Spanish authorities decided to deploy the military to assist in ensuring security in the region. On July 31, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is expected to visit the city, accompanied by Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska.

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