Italy, Spain lift border controls brought in after Ceuta migrant rush

Italy and ‌Spain have ​agreed to lift border controls on each other's citizens, the ‌interior ministry in Rome said on Thursday, ending a three-month dispute triggered by the rush of migrants into the ‌Spanish enclave of Ceuta.

Italy's right-wing government first suspended ‌its open-border arrangements with Spain on July 31, saying it wanted to make sure no migrants entering Ceuta could travel ⁠on ​to its territory. Madrid ⁠responded by taking similar action against Rome, describing the Italian ⁠measures as "unjust, contrary to European Union interests, and discriminatory to ​the population of Spain".

The Italian and Spanish ⁠interior ministers spoke on the phone and agreed not to ⁠extend ​their suspension of the European Union's open-border Schengen arrangements, the Italian statement said. "The decision, reached after ⁠a careful assessment of the situation, will be accompanied by ⁠enhanced ⁠information-sharing measures to ensure the full security of the common Schengen area," the ministry added.