Statement by Palazzo Chigi on land border checks being reintroduced between Italy and Slovenia

The Italian Government has announced that land border checks between Italy and Slovenia are to be reintroduced, pursuant to article 28 of the Schengen Borders Code (EU Regulation no. 2016/399).

Minister of the Interior Piantedosi provided notification of this reintroduction of internal border control, already adopted in the Schengen area, to Vice-President of the European Commission Margaritis Schinas, European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson, President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola, Secretary-General of the Council of the European Union Thérèse Blanchet and the Interior Ministers of EU Member States and Schengen associated countries.

The intensification of crisis hotspots at Europe’s borders, particularly following the attack against Israel, has in fact increased the threat of violent action also within the European Union. This scenario is further compounded by the migratory pressure to which Italy is constantly subjected, with arrivals by sea and by land (140 thousand to Italy’s shores this year, +85% compared with 2022). In the Friuli Venezia Giulia region alone, since the start of the year, 16 thousand people have been found to have entered Italy illegally.

This scenario, which is being examined in depth also by the Ministry of the Interior’s anti-terrorism strategic analysis committee, confirms the need for prevention and control measures to be further strengthened. In fact, according to national assessments, the police measures at the Italy-Slovenia border are not adequate to guarantee the required level of security. The measure will be brought into force on 21 October for a period of ten days, which may be extended further in accordance with EU Regulation 2016/399. Controls will be carried out in such a way as to ensure the proportionality of the measure, adequate for the threat level and calibrated to minimise the impact on people crossing the border and freight traffic.

Further developments in the situation and the effectiveness of the measures will be analysed on a continuous basis, in the hope of a rapid return to full free movement.