Rome, 9 Aug. (LaPresse) – “We haven’t made a fuss. We have suspended Schengen, as provided for in the Treaties, because something extraordinary happened in Ceuta. Even today, Mayor Vivas says that between 8,000 and 11,000 migrants remain there. And thousands of them are sub-Saharan Africans who cannot be repatriated. Rather, what is incomprehensible and entirely unacceptable is the Spanish reaction.” So said Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani in an interview with La Stampa. To those who consider Italy’s measure to be merely symbolic, the minister replied: “Not at all. Ceuta is not part of the Schengen Area but is a Spanish exclave; Spain is part of it,” he adds. “And the risk, as the Spanish press also points out, lies in the secondary movements of non-Moroccans. Where do they go once they’ve arrived in Spain? Italy, as a destination, is the country most at risk. We’re not Germany or Norway.” “Around fifteen irregular migrants have already been apprehended in Italy,” he adds. “Not to mention that among the migrants were some who had previously been deported for jihadism.” “They are not Moroccans, but that does not alter the nature of the problem,” he continues. “We need to set the record straight: we are not against Spain, but we have a duty to protect our borders. And there is no doubt that arrivals from sub-Saharan Africa pose a jihadist threat. The Spanish police themselves have detained suspects,” he said. “Brunner has just reminded Spain of its responsibilities, because the way they are handling this crisis must take into account the need to prevent unchecked migrants from entering the European Union,” continued the Foreign Minister. “We have taken this decision for ports and airports, and it concerns third-country nationals. According to Spanish intelligence, there is a risk of a new wave by mid-August: not lifting the measure is a precaution. We hope to be able to lift the suspension soon, as soon as the risk has passed. It is Sánchez who has dramatised the situation.”
Tajani: ‘Schengen can be suspended, but Sánchez’s retaliation is unacceptable’
Rome, 9 Aug. (LaPresse) – “We haven’t made a fuss. We have suspended Schengen, as provided for in the Treaties, because something extraordinary happened in Ceuta. Even today, Mayor Vivas says that between 8,000 and 11,000 migrants remain there. And thousands of them are sub-Saharan Africans who cannot be repatriated. Rather, what is incomprehensible and entirely unacceptable is the Spanish reaction.” So said Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani in an interview with La Stampa. To those who consider Italy’s measure to be merely symbolic, the minister replied: “Not at all. Ceuta is not part of the Schengen Area but is a Spanish exclave; Spain is part of it,” he adds. “And the risk, as the Spanish press also points out, lies in the secondary movements of non-Moroccans. Where do they go once they’ve arrived in Spain? Italy, as a destination, is the country most at risk. We’re not Germany or Norway.” “Around fifteen irregular migrants have already been apprehended in Italy,” he adds. “Not to mention that among the migrants were some who had previously been deported for jihadism.” “They are not Moroccans, but that does not alter the nature of the problem,” he continues. “We need to set the record straight: we are not against Spain, but we have a duty to protect our borders. And there is no doubt that arrivals from sub-Saharan Africa pose a jihadist threat. The Spanish police themselves have detained suspects,” he said. “Brunner has just reminded Spain of its responsibilities, because the way they are handling this crisis must take into account the need to prevent unchecked migrants from entering the European Union,” continued the Foreign Minister. “We have taken this decision for ports and airports, and it concerns third-country nationals. According to Spanish intelligence, there is a risk of a new wave by mid-August: not lifting the measure is a precaution. We hope to be able to lift the suspension soon, as soon as the risk has passed. It is Sánchez who has dramatised the situation.”