Italy suspends Schengen with Spain over Ceuta migrant influx

Italy on Friday suspended the Schengen agreement with Spain, closing its air and sea borders amid the recent influx of irregular migrants into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, the Italian state media reported.

The Italian Interior Ministry ordered the closure following the entry of about 50,000 migrants into Ceuta since Thursday, according to ANSA news agency.

The decision followed an assessment by the Committee on Analysis of Immigration and Border Security, chaired by Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Friday described the mass arrival of migrants into Ceuta as "an attack" and "a violation of Spain's territorial integrity," pledging to restore normality "as soon as possible."

According to Spain's Interior Ministry, more than 48,000 of the roughly 50,000 migrants who entered Ceuta irregularly since Thursday have already returned to Morocco.