The police chief of the northeastern Italian city of Trieste, Lilia Fredella, has praised the suspension of the Schengen agreement between Italy and Slovenia, stating that the measure has reduced the number of migrants travelling to the country illegally.
The suspension of the open-border Schengen agreement between Italy and Slovenia, with the presence of police units deployed at border crossings, "is certainly a measure giving results", the police chief of Trieste, Lilia Fredella, said on November 26 on the sidelines of the presentation of the 2026 State Police calendar in the main city of the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region.
"It takes a lot of effort, a lot of work and a lot of commitment but the measure is producing results," she said. The provision has been extended for an additional six months, until June 18, 2026.
'Fewer migrants in the territory'
"We are working a lot" on immigration, explained Fredella, highlighting a commitment to ease the pressure of illegal migration flows. "I must say that numbers prove us right on this issue, because the suspension of the Schengen treaty surely enabled fewer people to arrive in Trieste," she noted.
Speaking about safety, the police chief said security forces are working on various fronts and on the perception of security she noted that there are "objectively moments in which it can be more dangerous to be outside or to be in certain places."
However, the perception of danger is "connected to who we are meeting" -- "it's not the city in itself" that is dangerous, noted Fredella.
Alleged smuggler detained after crash during police chase
Meanwhile on November 15 an alleged migrant smuggler driving an Audi with five people on board crashed with two other cars belonging to the Slovenian and Italian police, after a chase that started in Slovenia and ended in Italy.
The fugitive was transporting a family of undocumented migrants.The chase began in Slovenia, where the alleged smuggler did not stop at a police check point.
The car, which had a foreign license plate, reached the border crossing of Fernetti at high speed and crossed the border with Italy, at this point chased by several Slovenian and Italian police cars. The chase ended in Via Brigata Casale and the man was arrested on charges of aiding and abetting illegal immigration and resisting arrest.