MADRID, SPAIN / RankWire.AI / – Starting from midnight on Aug. 8, Spain has introduced temporary border controls for passengers arriving from Italy by air and sea. The measure is scheduled to remain in place until Sept. 7. Authorities are conducting passport, nationality, and visa status verifications where necessary. These controls target Italian travelers and other passengers entering Spain from Italy. This action follows Italy’s earlier decision to implement temporary checks on select arrivals from Spain.
On the first day of enforcement, Spain’s Interior Ministry reported that officers examined 199 passengers arriving from Italy on 12 flights. The inspections took place at airports in Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, Bilbao, Alicante, and Valencia. Travelers on affected routes may encounter document checks before completing their arrival procedures. It’s important to note that these measures do not constitute a border closure. Air and sea routes between Spain and Italy continue operating while the temporary checks are in effect.
Italy reinstated border checks on Aug. 1 following a significant influx of migrants entering Ceuta from Morocco in late July. The Italian authorities applied their controls to non-EU nationals arriving from Spain via air and sea. Citizens of Spain, Italy, and other EU countries were not included in these targeted measures. Italy informed European authorities that its controls would stay in place until Sept. 1. Subsequently, Spain introduced its own checks after calling for the Italian restrictions to be lifted.
Ceuta migrant influx triggered bilateral border measures
Approximately 72,000 migrants entered Ceuta during the large migration movement from Morocco that began in late July. Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska stated on Aug. 4 that roughly 70,000 individuals had already departed from the territory. Ceuta, located on the North African coast, remains outside the Schengen Area. The migration surge occurred before Italy reinstated controls on specific travelers from Spain. Spain then announced its own checks for passengers arriving from Italy via airports and seaports.
Madrid revealed the Spanish border control measures on Aug. 7, following objections to Italy’s restrictions. Spain argued that Italy’s controls lacked justification and discriminated against the country. Italy maintained its measures, and Spain commenced its own inspections the next day. The two nations have set different expiry dates for their controls: Italy’s are valid through Sept. 1, while Spain’s are scheduled until Sept. 7.
Temporary border checks are permitted within Schengen rules
The Schengen Area generally allows travelers to cross internal borders without routine passport checks. However, its regulations permit member states to reinstate temporary controls if a serious threat to public policy or internal security is identified. The European Commission advises that governments should only use internal border checks when necessary and for limited durations. Both Spain and Italy are members of the Schengen Area. The measures currently in place are temporary screening procedures that do not suspend normal travel between the two countries.
Travelers from Italy to Spain should anticipate potential identity and immigration inspections at Spanish airports and seaports during the control period. On its first day, Spain conducted checks at six major airports, inspecting nearly 200 travelers. Meanwhile, Italy continues its separate controls on targeted non-EU arrivals from Spain under its scheduled timeframe. Both sets of measures are temporary within the Schengen framework, with Spain’s controls scheduled to last until Sept. 7.