Immigration: EU tells Italy there is no reason to close the border with Slovenia

Brussels – The number of arrivals is such that the border with Slovenia is no longer justified. The European Commission has delivered a cold shower to Italy over the way the country is managing migrant flows. The Commissioner for Migration and Home Affairs, Magnus Brunner, has dismissed Italy’s arguments, urging the Meloni government to drop alarmism and victimhood.

At the heart of the row between Rome and Brussels is a parliamentary question tabled by League MEP Anna Maria Cisint, who opposes the European Commission’s recommendation to phase out internal border controls within the Schengen area and is critical of the Commission’s approach. “Does the Commission not think that asking Italy to divest itself of an effective control instrument is illogical, given that the Union remains incapable of fully securing its external borders?” Cisint asked.
Brunner replies: “The Commission Opinion on the necessity and proportionality of the reintroduction of border control by Italy of 2 June 2026 stresses that the reintroduction of internal border control must remain a temporary and exceptional measure of last resort,” he begins, recalling how the rules on the management of internal borders work. Then comes the key point: “he European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) shows a steady decline in detected unauthorised border crossings, including along the Western Balkans Rout. Moreover, the use of alternative measures, such as cross-border police cooperation and information exchange, are an efficient and effective means to ensure a high level of security.”

In a nutshell, the rules do not allow borders to remain closed indefinitely, and the number of arrivals no longer justifies the measures Italy has implemented to date. Italy is therefore urged to abide by the rules and stop exaggerating issues that have been put into perspective. As a reminder, Brunner reminds Cisint, whose party forms part of the governing majority, that “the recently established European Centre Against Migrant Smuggling within Europol further strengthens EU-level operational and analytical support for Member States in dismantling high-risk migrant smuggling networks.” In other words: the tools for monitoring and management are in place; all that remains is to make use of them.