Spain temporarily reintroduces border controls with Italy

Spain will temporarily re-impose border controls with Italy. According to the Spanish Interior Ministry, starting from August 8, passengers arriving from Italy will be subject to additional passport, citizenship and visa checks at ports and airports. These temporary control measures will last at least until September 7.

Official Madrid said that the decision was taken taking into account the pressure on Italy from illegal migrants and the security situation.

The measures come after Italy temporarily restricted the rules of the Schengen agreement for third-country nationals arriving from Spain following a mass influx of migrants in the city of Ceuta last week.

Earlier, Spanish authorities had called on Rome to lift these restrictions by August 9, warning that similar control measures would be introduced for those arriving from Italy.

The Italian government, however, said it would not accept Madrid's "ultimatums" and announced that the restrictions imposed on third-country nationals entering through Spain would remain in place until at least August 15.

The administration of Italian Prime Minister Giorgi Meloni said that Spanish authorities had warned in advance that a new mass influx of migrants could occur in Ceuta on August 15. Therefore, Rome said that it would not lift the restrictions until it was sure that there was no new threat.

The Spanish Civil Guard also confirmed that calls were being circulated on social media for another mass crossing of the Ceuta border on August 15. However, it is not yet known how many people would participate in this movement.

According to Reuters, the current conflict has become one of the coldest diplomatic relations between Spain and Italy since the European Union's inception. In recent months, the leaders of the two countries have also repeatedly argued over foreign policy issues with US President Donald Trump.

Tens of thousands of migrants from Morocco illegally entered the Spanish enclave of Ceuta in North Africa last week by sea and land. The city has a population of about 85,000. The migrants tried to cross by sea using car tires, inflatable rings and other improvised means.

According to the Spanish Interior Ministry, the majority of those arriving were young people under the age of 30. Nearly 100 people have died trying to cross the border.

Madrid then sent additional military forces to Ceuta for the first time since 2021. It also began installing a 500-meter-long floating barrier to limit illegal crossings by sea. Floating buoys with chains will be placed along the border, and border patrol boats will patrol the area 24 hours a day through a special corridor between them.