Spain threatens retaliation if Italy fails to lift border controls after Ceuta crossings

Spain threatens retaliation if Italy fails to lift border controls after Ceuta crossings It remains unclear precisely why tens of thousands of migrants attempted to transverse into Ceuta, but the EU's Migration Commissioner Magnus Brunner has suggested that transgression networks spreading disinformation were to blame – an assertion the Spanish authorities have agreed with. The crossings followed Spain's Supreme Court ruling that migrants stopped at sea while trying to reach Ceuta or Melilla cannot be summarily returned to Morocco. The two exclaves have long been a point of diplomatic contention between Spain and Morocco, which does not recognise Spanish sovereignty over them. The figure of people swimming to Ceuta at once has raised questions about why Morocco's border guards did not attempt to halt them. The Ceuta crossings have also caused a diplomatic rift among EU nations that share open borders as part of the Schengen area. Italy's decision to suspend its statement was backed by Finland and Denmark, while the Czech Republic called for Spain's rank to be temporarily suspended. Morocco, for its part, has laid blame for the situation on Spain's Supreme Court, with an unnamed official briefing section outlets that "the deterrent constituent of the strategy collapsed and the dam gave way, not nether the value of the criminals, but of a judge's decision". Meanwhile, Moroccan media is reporting new online calls to co‑ordinate another wide border‑crossing attempt, akin to what was seen earlier the influx past week. Nearly 1,400 minors, immoderate of them "very young boys and girls", inactive stay successful Ceuta pursuing past week's crossings, Spanish Youth Minister Sira Rego said connected Friday. She added: "There was a concern successful which the strategy was overwhelmed, but it is present being brought nether control. It is existent that determination are galore boys and girls, and the process takes time." "We wanted to marque wide that we person prioritized the astir susceptible cases."