by InTrieste
In an unexpected move, Italy has decided to extend border controls with Slovenia for an additional 30 days, until January 21, 2024. The controls were initially implemented on October 21 last year. The official announcement of this decision was made last week by Rome to the Trieste Prefecture, coming just hours after authorities in Ljubljana declared an extension of border presences with Croatia and Hungary until June.
The somewhat surprising move by Slovenia triggered a series of frantic consultations in the capital between the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Eventually, the news of the extension emerged in the evening. The specter of border controls during the holiday season, including Christmas and New Year, is now a reality. According to Schengen rules, once the two-month control period ends, the government can initiate the regular procedure to suspend Schengen for an additional maximum of 4 months.
The Ministry of the Interior’s communication on the initial phase of border controls also included data on migrant entries into Italy since the Meloni government took office. Approximately 140,000 arrivals were reported via the central Mediterranean route, almost 85% more than the previous year, with about 16,000 arrivals in Friuli Venezia Giulia. The Ministry of the Interior attributes this situation to the “policing measures on the Italy-Slovenia border,” which they claim are “inadequate to ensure the required security.”
