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Migration crisis
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Italy and Finland call for Spain to be excluded from the Schengen area and Denmark and Sweden to 'tighten' border controls

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni was the first to suggest that Spain be excluded from the free movement of persons.
CEUTA (ESPAÑA), 31/07/2026.- Inmigrantes descansan este viernes en una de las playas de Ceuta, donde se han registrado violentos enfrentamientos en los perímetros fronterizos durante su intento de acceder desde Marruecos hacia Ceuta y Melilla. EFE/ Reduan Dris

Immigrants resting on one of Ceuta's beaches.

The Governments ofItaly and Finland have proposed the expulsion of Spain from the Schengen area as a result of the migration crisis in Ceuta. The Minister of the Interior of Finland, Mari Rantanen, and the Minister of Finance, Riikka Purra, supported on Friday the proposal of the Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, in favour of excluding Spain from the Schengen area in response to the migration crisis in Ceuta.

Meanwhile, in Denmark, the Minister for Immigration and Integration, the Social Democrat Morten Bodskov , pointed out that the Copenhagen Government 'closely follows the situation created in Spain following the arrival of thousands of migrants in Ceuta' and recalled that 'Schengencooperation is essentialto ensuring the EU's borders'.

Also in Sweden , Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson has stressed the need for the Spanish authorities to "regain controlof the situation "in Ceuta and warned that the Scandinavian Government is prepared to take action if the situation worsens.

"Spain must act immediately to regain control of the situation and fulfil its commitments under Schengen cooperation," said Kristersson, leader of the Moderate Party.

Condemnation of Finland

In this regard, Dinarmarca and Sweden have not gone as far as Finland, where the Finnish Government has been the first to support Italy's proposal to exclude Spain from Schengen. In a social media message, the Minister of Rantan, a member of the ultra-conservative Finnish Party, has denounced Spain's "failure to protect the external border of the Schengen area from illegal immigration."

"This cannot go on like this," criticized the Finnish Home Secretary, who, in public support of Meloni's initiative, "suspended" the Schengen area with Spain.

"All European countries must support Meloni's proposal. Countries that fail to fulfil their obligation to protect the external border cannot be members of Schengen, "Rantanen said.

In the same vein, Purra called for 'closing the doors', referring to the closure of borders, saying that in Finland 'at least no one will come from invasions of developing countries, driven by socialists'.

Meloni's Precedent

The precedent of the Finnish Government's stance came from Italy, where Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni confirmed on Thursday that "extraordinary measures" are being considered to protect the  borders, as well as the suspension of the Schengen area with Spain.

"The images from Ceuta are shockingand show once again that uncontrolled illegal immigration poses a real threat to the security of Europe's borders, "he wrote on his social networks, a proposal that is being supported not only by some governments, but also, for example, by Finns, anti-immigration parties across Europe.

Meanwhile, the French Government has announced that it has strengthened border controls with the Spanish State, a measure that affects border crossings from Gipuzkoa and Navarre to the French Basque Country.

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