ROME: Italy and Spain announced on Monday a 15-day extension of reciprocal border checks imposed in a spat over a migrant rush last month into the Spanish north African territory of Ceuta. The Italian interior ministry said in a statement that the extension was "due to the continued relevance of the assessment factors that led to their introduction on August 1". Italy said it was "taking into account the initiatives already launched by Spain, together with the European Union, so that the situation in that area may move towards normalisation in the near future".
Spain's interior ministry, which put in place border checks for travellers arriving from Italy for one month from August 8, responded by announcing a reciprocal 15-day extension. Italy and Spain do not share a land border, but passengers arriving on flights now go through passport checks, which is normally not the case because both countries are members of the Schengen free-travel zone.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Monday the rush of migrants was still under investigation, though he ruled out any responsibility on the part of Moroccan authorities. Although the vast majority of migrants returned to Morocco within hours, thousands remain in Ceuta. — AFP
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