Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni expressed concern today over the influx of migrants into Ceuta, Spain, hinting that travel restrictions between Spain and Italy could be imposed.

Meloni wrote on social media that the scenes coming from Ceuta are shocking and demonstrate that uncontrolled illegal immigration poses a real threat to the security of European borders.

She added that as soon as a meeting with relevant agencies concludes, she is prepared to take special measures to protect national borders and the safety of citizens, stating that this includes the option of suspending the application of the Schengen system to Spain.

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani also stated the previous day that he supports closing the Schengen agreement with Spain.

The Spanish government summoned the Italian ambassador in Madrid to protest Tajani's remarks.

The Schengen Agreement is a system that guarantees the free movement of people and goods by exempting border crossing procedures, such as passport checks, when passing through the borders of 29 European countries.

Ceuta, an autonomous Spanish city bordering Morocco in North Africa, recently experienced major turmoil as 2,000 to 3,000 migrants crossed the border all at once over the past few days.

The migrants who were in Morocco crossed the border by scaling barbed wire fences or swimming across the sea.

As the crowds suddenly surged, casualties continued to mount, with at least 18 migrants reported dead.

Because Ceuta shares a land border with the African continent, mass attempts by migrants aiming to enter Europe to cross the border occur frequently.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)