Rome: Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani on Monday defended Italy's migration policy and its decision to suspend Schengen-related arrangements with Spain following the migration crisis in Ceuta. "I do not respond to the Spanish foreign minister; the numbers do," Tajani stated on the US social media platform X.

According to Anadolu Agency, Tajani highlighted that irregular migrant arrivals in Italy have fallen by 60% annually since 2023. Additionally, he noted that landings between January and July 2026 had decreased by 80% compared with the same period in 2023. Furthermore, he reported that as of July 15, 2026, 15,323 irregular migrants arrived by sea, marking a 54% decrease compared with 2025 and a 50% decline compared with 2024.

Tajani attributed these figures to "hard work" and bilateral agreements with eight countries of origin and transit aimed at promoting regular migration and combating human trafficking. He also mentioned that the EU's new Pact on Asylum and Migration bore "a strong Italian imprint," aligning with the teachings of Silvio Berlusconi and the governments he led.

Referring to the situation in Ceuta, Tajani emphasized that more than 5,000 migrants who arrived in the Spanish enclave were from sub-Saharan Africa and "cannot be repatriated or sent back to Morocco." He questioned, "What will become of them? Where will they go?"

Tajani defended Italy's decision to suspend Schengen-related arrangements with Spain, asserting it was "in line with the Treaties" and "the right one."