The crisis migratory of Ceuta turns into a diplomatic clash between Italy and Spain and ends up directly involving thousands of people traveling in the midst of the summer holidays. Pedro Sánchez’s government has decided to temporarily reintroduce internal border controls for those arriving from Italy, thus responding to the checks introduced by Rome for passengers coming from Spain after the massive entry of migrants into the Spanish exclave of Ceuta.
Controls for those arriving from Italy
The Spanish measure came into force at midnight on Saturday 8 August and affects air and sea connections from Italy. The checks are therefore carried out in ports and airports and do not only concern Italian citizens, but more generally travelers coming from our country.
- for Italian citizens, possession of an identity card or passport will be verified;
for non-EU citizens, possession of a visa or residence permit will be verified
The checks will be carried out on a random basis. The authorities will be able to check passengers’ identity, passport or travel document and nationality. For citizens of non-EU countries, the visa and residence permit may also be verified. For those leaving for Spain this above all means the possibility of having to face additional checks and, consequently, longer times at airports and ports.
Spain responds to Meloni and increases controls for those arriving from Italy: “Without showing documents they won’t let us off the plane”
The measure will remain in force until midnight on 7 September 2026, although Madrid has reserved the possibility of modifying its duration should the circumstances that led to its introduction change.
Because Spain imposed controls on Italy
The Spanish Ministry of the Interior formally justified the measure with the “persistent irregular migratory pressure” affecting Italy. However, the decision is clearly linked to the open conflict with Rome over the consequences of the Ceuta crisis and comes as a response to the Italian measures.
| Year | Italy – irregular arrivals | Italy – effective repatriations | Spain – irregular arrivals | Spain – effective repatriations |
| 2021 | 67,477 | 975 | 41,945 | 4,755 |
| 2022 | 105.131 | 2,790 | 31,219 | 3,335 |
| 2023 | 157,651 | 3,275 | 56,852 | 5,995 |
| 2024 | 66,617 | 4,480 | 63,970 | 6.105 |
| 2025 | 66,296 | 4,780 | 36,775 | 5,705 |
| Total 2021-2025 | 463.172 | 16,300 | 230,761 | 25,895 |
Italy had in fact reintroduced controls for passengers from third countries coming from Spain through ports and airports from 1 August, fearing that some of the people who entered Ceuta irregularly could subsequently move to other European countries. The Meloni government has made it known that it does not intend to review the provision until at least August 15, the date indicated on social media as a possible moment of a new attempt at mass entry into the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla.
Madrid’s ultimatum and Rome’s response
Before introducing the countermeasures, the government Sánchez had asked Italy to eliminate the controls, granting Rome a deadline until Sunday 9 August. Otherwise, Madrid warned, Spain would adopt “proportionate” measures to protect the interests and dignity of its citizens.
Sanchez had stated that “none of the migrants who entered Ceuta illegally last week could or can freely enter the Schengen area, since the autonomous city of Ceuta enjoys a special regime within it. And that almost all of them have already returned to Morocco”. He had also accused Italy of not complying with the Dublin Regulation from 2022, “generating a further burden of migratory pressure on other member states” due to Rome’s decision to suspend the reception of almost all asylum seekers that other European countries should have transferred to Italian territory.
“Spain has never imposed controls on Italy. Indeed, it has always shown solidarity towards Italy, welcoming some of the migrants who arrived in Lampedusa in 2023 and regularly opening its ports to migrants rescued along the central Mediterranean route”.
Pedro Sanchez
The response from Palazzo Chigi came without openings: “Italy does not accept ultimatums or impositions from abroad regarding national security and border control”. The government reiterated that it does not intend to review the decision until at least 15 August and that it is willing to do so only when it deems the risks associated with new irregular migratory movements and security to have disappeared.
Madrid therefore did not wait for the deadline indicated initially and decided to immediately apply its response: checks on travelers coming from Italy from 8 August to 7 September. A measure that makes clear how the political confrontation between Giorgia Meloni and Pedro Sánchez now has concrete consequences even for those who simply have to take a plane or a ship between the two countries.
Has Schengen been suspended?
Not exactly. Talking about “suspension of Schengen” allows us to politically summarize what is happening, but from a technical point of view, Italy and Spain have temporarily reintroduced internal border controls. The “Schengen Borders Code” allows States to do so, in certain circumstances, for reasons of public order or internal security.
The consequence for travelers is however very concrete: free movement between Italy and Spain continues, but it no longer necessarily means crossing the border without being checked. Anyone leaving must therefore have the necessary documents with them and consider the possibility of longer waiting times at the controls.