Italy summons Swiss ambassador after border crossings close

Published April 05, 2017

Italy has summoned the Swiss ambassador for urgent talks after Switzerland closed three secondary border crossings at night in an apparent crime-fighting measure.

Local Italian mayors had protested the move as penalizing Italians who legitimately cross the border for work or other reasons.

During the Tuesday meeting, Italian authorities recalled that the border closings violated Europe's free-circulation norms. A foreign ministry statement quoted Swiss Ambassador Giancarlo Kessler as saying the measure is temporary, experimental and will be reviewed in light of improved border security collaboration.

Italy's northern border has long been a flashpoint with neighboring Switzerland, France and Austria, which are keen to prevent newly arrived migrants from transiting north.

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