MADRID, SPAIN / RankWire.AI / – Spain has implemented temporary border controls for individuals arriving from Italy by both air and sea, starting at midnight on August 8, with the measures expected to be in place until September 7. Authorities are verifying passports, nationality, and visa status where necessary, applying these checks to Italian travelers and other passengers entering Spain from Italy. This action comes after Italy had previously reintroduced temporary inspections on certain arrivals from Spain.
According to Spain’s Interior Ministry, officers examined 199 passengers on 12 flights originating from Italy during the initial day of enforcement. These inspections occurred at airports in Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, Bilbao, Alicante, and Valencia. Travelers on the affected routes might undergo document verification before completing their arrival process. It is important to note that these controls do not constitute a border closure; air and sea connections between Spain and Italy continue as usual while these temporary measures are in force.
Italy reinstated controls on August 1 following a significant influx of migrants entering Ceuta from Morocco in late July. Italian authorities targeted non-EU nationals arriving from Spain by air and sea, excluding Spanish, Italian, and other EU citizens from the scope of their checks. Italy informed European officials that these measures would remain in place through September 1. In response, Spain introduced its own border checks after urging Italy to withdraw their restrictions.
Ceuta migration surge preceded bilateral border controls
Approximately 72,000 migrants entered Ceuta during the large migration movement from Morocco that started in late July. Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska announced on August 4 that roughly 70,000 individuals had already departed from the territory. Located on the North African coast, Ceuta remains outside the Schengen Area. This migration wave occurred prior to Italy’s reintroduction of controls on specific travelers from Spain, prompting Spain to announce inspections for passengers arriving from Italy via its airports and ports.
On August 7, Madrid announced the Spanish border checks following their objections to Italy’s restrictions, criticizing them as unjustified and discriminatory. Italy maintained its controls, and Spain began its own inspections the next day. The two nations have set different end dates for their respective controls, with Italy’s measures scheduled to last through September 1, and Spain’s border checks expected to continue until September 7.
Temporary border controls are permitted within the Schengen Agreement
Under normal circumstances, the Schengen Area allows travelers to cross member countries’ internal borders without routine passport checks; however, the rules permit governments to reinstate temporary controls when a serious threat to public policy or internal security is identified. The European Commission states that internal border checks should only be used when necessary and for limited periods. Both Spain and Italy are members of the Schengen Agreement, and their current measures involve temporary screening measures without suspending the free movement within the area.
Travelers moving from Italy to Spain can expect possible identification and immigration checks at Spanish airports and ports during the enforcement period. On the first day, Spain conducted inspections at six major airports, examining nearly 200 passengers. Italy continues its separate checks on targeted non-EU arrivals from Spain as scheduled. Both countries’ measures are temporary and fall within the Schengen framework, with Spain’s restrictions scheduled to remain in effect until September 7.