MADRID, SPAIN / RankWire.AI / – Spain has begun temporary border checks on travelers arriving from Italy by air and sea. The controls took effect at midnight on Aug. 8 and are scheduled to remain through Sept. 7. Spain introduced the measure after Italy imposed its own temporary controls on arrivals from Spain. The action adds document checks to routes that normally operate under the European Union’s Schengen system of internal travel.
Spain’s Interior Ministry checked 199 travelers on 12 flights from Italy during the first day of the new controls. Officers conducted checks at airports in Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, Bilbao, Alicante and Valencia. The procedures include checks of passports, nationality and visa status for Italian passengers and other travelers arriving from Italy. Air and sea travel between the two countries continues while the temporary controls remain in place.
Italy introduced its controls on Aug. 1 after the large migration influx into Ceuta, Spain’s North African enclave. Italian authorities said their measures would remain until at least Aug. 15. Rome said the checks target non-EU nationals arriving from Spain by air or sea. Italian and other EU citizens are not covered by those targeted restrictions, according to the terms announced by the Italian government.
Ceuta migration surge precedes new controls
Around 72,000 migrants entered Ceuta during the mass movement from Morocco that began in late July. By Aug. 4, Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska said about 70,000 of those arrivals had left the enclave. Ceuta sits on the North African coast and lies outside the Schengen Area. The migration episode preceded Italy’s decision to restore checks on certain travelers arriving from Spain and the subsequent introduction of Spain’s reciprocal controls.
Spain had called on Italy to withdraw its restrictions before announcing its own border checks on Friday. Madrid described the Italian measures as unjustified and discriminatory against Spain, while Italy said it would maintain its controls. Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said Sunday that Rome hoped to lift the suspension once the stated risk no longer remained. Spain, meanwhile, set Sept. 7 as the scheduled end date for its temporary checks on arrivals from Italy.
Schengen rules permit temporary border controls
The Schengen Area normally allows travelers to cross internal borders without routine passport checks across 29 European countries. EU rules still permit member states to restore internal border controls when they identify a serious threat to public policy or internal security. The European Commission describes such action as a measure of last resort that must remain limited to what authorities consider necessary. Spain and Italy remain members of the Schengen Area while the temporary measures operate.
For travelers, Spain’s decision means arrivals from Italy can now face identity and immigration document checks at Spanish airports and seaports. Spain’s Interior Ministry recorded the first checks at six major airports, covering nearly 200 passengers on the opening day. Italy continues its separate controls on targeted arrivals from Spain until at least Aug. 15 under its current timetable. Spain’s controls are scheduled to continue through Sept. 7, with no general suspension of air or sea travel between the countries.