Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni explained on Wednesday that the international situation makes it necessary for Italy to suspend the Schengen Treaty after her government reintroduced controls at the border with Slovenia from Saturday.
“The suspension of the Schengen Treaty on freedom of movement in Europe became necessary due to the deteriorating situation in the Middle East, the increase in migration flows along the Balkan route and, above all, due to national security issues,” he stressed Meloni. to journalists.
“I take full responsibility for this,” he added, as quoted by the ANSA agency.
The Italian Interior Minister had announced that Italy had decided to temporarily activate controls at the border with Slovenia due to recent events in Europe and the Middle East. The decision came into effect on October 21 and lasted ten days.
The decision was announced by the Italian minister to his Slovenian counterpart Bostjan Poklukar, quoted by the Slovenian news agency STA.
The aim of the measure is “to prevent terrorism and organized crime,” the Slovenian Ministry of the Interior said in a statement, according to STA.
Poklukar stressed the need for the change to be “temporary and proportionate” to ensure that the “cultural, friendship and family ties of people living along the border” are not disrupted.
Although the reintroduction of border controls in the Schengen area is only allowed in exceptional circumstances – such as during the Covid-19 pandemic – and must be notified to Brussels before being adopted, several countries have announced similar measures.
A week ago, Poland, the Czech Republic and Austria decided to maintain border controls with Slovakia until at least November 2 to prevent irregular migration.
The three countries had introduced the measure on October 4, initially for ten days, but decided to extend it.
Slovakia has recently been the target of an increase in migrants, largely coming from Serbia, passing through Hungary, and heading to wealthier countries in Western Europe.
Between January and August this year, 24,500 people entered the country illegally, more than double the 10,900 people who registered last year.
In response to the measures taken by neighboring countries, Bratislava also decided to introduce controls at the border with Hungary from October 5, which were extended until November 3.
Germany, where many migrants go, also strengthened controls on its eastern border with the Czech Republic and Poland at the end of September.
All these countries are members of the European Union and the Schengen area, where passports and border controls have been officially abolished.
Source: DN
