Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš called for temporarily excluding Spain from Schengen due to the migration crisis in Ceuta, where about 49,000 migrants entered uncontrollably from Morocco.

Italy has already suspended Schengen rules in connection with Spain.

Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš called for closing the Schengen zone to Spain after a sharp escalation of the migration crisis in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta.

According to Babiš, the situation in Ceuta is “absolutely scandalous,” and the cause of the crisis was the overly lenient migration policy of the Spanish authorities.

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According to the publication, since Thursday, about 49,000 migrants have entered Ceuta uncontrollably from the territory of Morocco. At least 19 people have died trying to cross the maritime border.

At the same time, Czech Foreign Minister Petr Mačinka expressed a more restrained position. He stated that he does not currently support the idea of excluding Spain from the Schengen zone and awaits an official response from Madrid.

As České noviny notes, Italy has already temporarily suspended the Schengen rules in connection with Spain due to the escalation of the migration situation.

What is the Schengen Agreement?

The Schengen Area allows people to travel between 29 European countries without routine passport checks at internal borders.

While border controls are normally abolished, member states can temporarily reinstate them if they believe there is a serious threat to public order or internal security.

Italy does not share a land border with Spain, so the decision to reintroduce border controls for a month will impact people travelling by plane or boat between the two countries.

Where is Ceuta?

Ceuta is an autonomous Spanish city on the northern coast of Africa that borders Morocco.

Spain also controls the nearby city of Melilla. Together, the two enclaves form the European Union’s only land borders with Africa.

Roughly the size of inner Sydney, Ceuta has a population of just over 83,000, according to Spain’s Instituto Nacional de Estadistica. It is home to Christian and Muslim communities, including Spanish and Moroccan residents and cross-border workers.

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