MADRID, SPAIN / RankWire.AI / – Spain has started implementing short-term border inspections for individuals arriving from Italy by air and sea. The measures commenced at midnight on Aug. 8 and are set to stay in effect until Sept. 7. Authorities now verify travel and immigration documents on routes that usually operate without routine internal border controls. This step follows Italy’s earlier decision to reintroduce checks on certain passengers arriving from Spain.
During the first day, Spain’s Interior Ministry reported inspecting 199 passengers traveling on 12 flights from Italy. The controls were carried out at airports in Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, Bilbao, Alicante, and Valencia. The process involves checking passports, nationality, and visa status where applicable. Flights and maritime connections between Spain and Italy continue operating while these temporary controls are in place.
Italy introduced its own temporary border controls on Aug. 1, following a significant influx of migrants into Ceuta from Morocco. Rome applied these checks to non-EU citizens arriving from Spain by air or sea. Italian citizens, Spanish citizens, and other EU nationals were not affected by these restrictions. Italy informed European authorities that its controls would last until Sept. 1 under the current schedule.
Ceuta migration surge preceded border measures
Approximately 72,000 migrants entered Ceuta during the large influx from Morocco that started in late July. Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska stated that by Aug. 4, about 70,000 had left the territory. Ceuta is located on the North African coast and is outside the Schengen Area. This migration wave occurred before Italy’s implementation of temporary checks and Spain’s decision to impose controls on arrivals from Italy.
Madrid had urged Rome to lift its restrictions prior to Spain announcing its new border checks on Aug. 7. Spain criticized the Italian measures, claiming they lacked justification and treated Spain unfairly. Italy maintained its controls while Spain introduced its own temporary border measures the following day. Both countries have set different expiration dates for their respective controls, and regular air and sea routes between them remain operational.
Temporary border controls are permitted under Schengen regulations
The Schengen Area generally allows free movement across internal borders without routine passport checks among member countries. However, its rules permit governments to re-establish internal border controls when they face a serious threat to public order or internal security. The European Commission advises that such measures should only be used when necessary and for a limited time. Spain and Italy remain within the Schengen Area while their temporary border controls are active.
Travelers arriving in Spain from Italy should anticipate potential identity and immigration document checks at airports and seaports. On the first day of implementation, Spain conducted inspections at six major airports. Italy continues its own targeted controls on arrivals from Spain according to its notified schedule. Spain intends to keep its border checks in place until Sept. 7, with no widespread suspension of passenger travel between the two nations.