Spain to Impose Border Controls on Travellers from Italy Amid Migration Dispute

MADRID: Spain will introduce temporary border controls on travellers arriving from Italy by air and sea, escalating a diplomatic dispute with Rome over irregular migration.

The Spanish government said the controls would take effect from midnight on Saturday and remain in place until September 7. Passport, nationality and visa checks will be conducted on Italian passengers as well as travellers from other countries arriving from Italy, citing persistent irregular migration pressure.

The decision comes in response to Italy’s own border measures affecting arrivals from Spain. Rome introduced the controls following a mass influx of migrants into Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta on July 30, when about 72,000 people crossed into the Spanish territory.

Italy said on Friday that it would not accept what it described as Spanish “ultimatums or impositions” and would maintain its border controls on arrivals from Spain until at least August 15.

Spain had earlier warned that it would introduce reciprocal measures against travellers from Italy unless Rome lifted its restrictions by Sunday.

The Italian government said it would reconsider its measures only after determining that there were no security or terrorism risks, no renewed wave of migration and no irregular migrants moving towards European territory.

The tit-for-tat measures represent a significant escalation in tensions between the two European Union members over migration management and border security.

The dispute also comes as the two countries navigate the implications of temporary restrictions on movement within the Schengen area, where internal border controls are generally absent. The latest measures underscore the growing political sensitivity surrounding irregular migration and the challenges faced by European governments in coordinating their responses.