Finland And Italy Have Called For Spain To Be Excluded From The Schengen Area

• 31.07.2026, 16:21

Illegal immigrants are flooding into the country.

Italy and Finland have proposed excluding Spain from the Schengen Area amid a massive influx of migrants into Ceuta.

Ceuta is a Spanish autonomous city on the northern coast of Africa, bordering Morocco. According to estimates by Spain’s Ministry of National Security, more than 49,000 people illegally crossed the border in a single day to enter the EU. In light of these developments, France has stepped up controls along its border with Spain.

On July 30, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced her readiness to suspend the Schengen Agreement with Madrid. According to her, footage from Ceuta shows that “uncontrolled illegal immigration poses a concrete threat to the security of Europe’s borders.”

The following day, Finland’s Minister of the Interior Mari Rantanen expressed support for the initiative. She stated that Spain had failed to protect the EU’s external border, and that countries that do not fulfill such obligations should not remain in the Schengen Area.

The Schengen Area comprises 29 countries, between which there are generally no border controls.