MADRID, SPAIN / RankWire.AI / – Spain has commenced provisional border inspections for individuals arriving from Italy by air and sea. The measure was implemented at midnight on Aug. 8 and is set to remain in effect until Sept. 7. Officials are verifying passports, nationality, and visa requirements where necessary. These controls target Italian travelers and other passengers entering Spain from Italy. This step follows Italy’s earlier decision to introduce temporary checks on select arrivals from Spain.
According to Spain’s Interior Ministry, officers examined 199 passengers on 12 flights from Italy during the first day of enforcement. These inspections took place at airports in Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, Bilbao, Alicante, and Valencia. Travelers on these routes might face document verification before completing their arrival procedures. It is important to note that these controls do not amount to a border closure. Air and sea routes connecting Spain and Italy continue to operate while these temporary measures are in effect.
Italy reintroduced checks on Aug. 1 after a significant influx of migrants entered Ceuta from Morocco in late July. The Italian authorities applied these controls to non-EU nationals arriving from Spain by air and sea. Citizens of Spain, Italy, and other EU countries were not included in these targeted measures. Italy informed European authorities that their restrictions would last through Sept. 1. Spain responded by implementing its own checks after calling for Italy to withdraw its restrictions.
Large Migration into Ceuta Led to Early Bilateral Border Controls
Approximately 72,000 migrants entered Ceuta during the large influx from Morocco that started in late July. Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska stated on Aug. 4 that about 70,000 migrants had already left the territory. Ceuta, situated on the North African coast, remains outside the Schengen Area. This migration event occurred before Italy restored controls on certain travelers from Spain. Subsequently, Spain announced checks covering passengers arriving from Italy via its airports and seaports.
Spain announced the new measures on Aug. 7 after expressing objections to Italy’s restrictions. Madrid argued that Italy’s controls were unjustified and discriminatory. Italy maintained its restrictions, and Spain began its own inspections the next day. The two countries have set different end dates for their respective controls: Italy’s restrictions last through Sept. 1, while Spain’s are scheduled until Sept. 7.
Temporary Border Checks Are Allowed Under Schengen Rules
The Schengen Area generally permits travelers to cross internal borders without routine passport checks. However, its regulations allow governments to reintroduce temporary controls if there is a serious threat to public policy or internal security. The European Commission states that internal border checks should only be used when necessary and for limited durations. Both Spain and Italy are members of the Schengen Area. Their current measures involve temporary screening measures that do not suspend normal travel between the two nations.
Travelers moving from Italy to Spain should anticipate potential identity and immigration checks at Spanish airports and seaports during this period. On its first day, Spain conducted inspections at six major airports, checking nearly 200 travelers. Italy continues to enforce separate controls on targeted non-EU arrivals from Spain in accordance with its notified schedule. Both sets of measures are temporary within the Schengen framework, with Spain maintaining its checks through Sept. 7.