Madrid, July 31 (QNA) – Spain reaffirmed today that the integrity of the Schengen Area remains fully protected after a mass influx of more than 50,000 migrants crossed into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta from Morocco on Thursday. 
Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said in a statement that the Schengen zone’s system of free movement is “absolutely guaranteed,” noting that the vast majority of migrants who entered Ceuta irregularly have already returned voluntarily to Morocco. According to Spain’s Interior Ministry, about 48,300 of the more than 50,000 migrants have voluntarily returned, leaving fewer than 2,000 people in the enclave. 
Albares stressed that travel from the North African enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla to mainland Spain is subject to police identity checks, dismissing concerns in some European capitals that Spain could become a transit route for irregular migrants into the rest of the European Union. 
Earlier in the day, Italy announced the temporary suspension of the Schengen free-travel arrangements with Spain for one month in response to the Ceuta migrant crisis. The measure reinstates passport checks for air and sea travel between the two countries. Italy also said it had agreed with France to strengthen border controls to prevent undocumented migrants from crossing into their territories. (QNA)