Ceuta's Migrant Crisis Ripples Into Basilicata's Summer Economy

Italy's decision to temporarily suspend the EU Schengen arrangement with Spain, following the arrival of tens of thousands of migrants in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, is reverberating far beyond the diplomatic corridors of Rome, according to The Local Italy. The measure will impact people travelling by plane or boat between the two countries.

For Basilicata, a region that depends on summer tourism and has a significant diaspora in Spain and elsewhere in Europe, the suspension introduces a new layer of uncertainty. While the region's main tourist draws—Matera's ancient sassi and the Pollino National Park—are domestic and international in origin, the ease of movement across Europe is a critical factor for the broader travel economy.

The Guardian reported that at least 57 people have died trying to reach Ceuta after as many as 50,000 migrants entered the territory from Morocco, in what Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called a 'violation of territorial integrity'. The scale of the crisis has prompted a majority of EU countries to call for emergency talks, as reported by The Local Italy.