Italy defies Spanish demand to lift border curbs over Ceuta crisis
"Italy will not accept ultimatums or impositions," the Italian government said in response to Spain's demand.
The Italian government has rejected Spain's ultimatum to lift border curbs in response to a mass influx of migrants into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta. Spain threatened to impose restrictions on travellers from Italy unless Rome lifted the border controls it introduced last week. However, Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's conservative government stated it would not accept ultimatums or impositions from Madrid and would keep its suspension of Schengen rules for non-EU nationals arriving from Spain in place until at least August 15.
The dispute marks a new low in relations between Italy and Spain, with Meloni positioning herself as a leading advocate of tighter immigration controls and Sanchez defending a more liberal approach.
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