MADRID, SPAIN / RankWire.AI / – Spain has initiated temporary border controls for individuals arriving from Italy by air and sea. The restrictions began at midnight on Aug. 8 and are scheduled to last until Sept. 7. Authorities are verifying passports, nationality, and visa requirements where necessary. These checks target Italian travelers and other passengers entering Spain from Italy. The move follows Italy’s earlier decision to impose temporary checks on certain arrivals from Spain.
According to Spain’s Interior Ministry, officers inspected 199 passengers on 12 flights from Italy during the first day of enforcement. Inspections occurred at airports in Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, Bilbao, Alicante, and Valencia. Travelers on affected routes may face document checks before completing their arrival procedures. These measures do not close the border, and air and sea connections between Spain and Italy remain operational while the controls are in effect.
Italy reintroduced controls on Aug. 1 following a significant influx of migrants into Ceuta from Morocco in late July. Italian authorities targeted non-EU nationals arriving from Spain by air and sea, excluding Spanish, Italian, and other EU citizens from these restrictions. Italy informed European authorities that the measures would continue through Sept. 1. In response, Spain introduced its own border checks after calling for the withdrawal of the Italian restrictions.
Ceuta migration surge prompted bilateral border measures
Approximately 72,000 migrants entered Ceuta amid the large migration wave from Morocco that began in late July. Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska reported on Aug. 4 that around 70,000 had already departed the territory. Ceuta, located on the North African coast, remains outside the Schengen Area. This migration event preceded Italy’s reinstatement of controls on travelers from Spain. Subsequently, Spain announced inspections for passengers arriving from Italy via airports and ports.
On Aug. 7, Madrid announced its border checks after opposing Italy’s restrictions, arguing they lacked justification and were discriminatory. Italy maintained its measures, and Spain initiated its own inspections the next day. Both countries set different end dates: Italy’s controls are scheduled to end on Sept. 1, while Spain’s will last until Sept. 7.
Temporary border controls are permitted within the Schengen Agreement
The Schengen Area normally allows for free movement across member countries’ internal borders without routine passport checks. However, its rules permit temporary controls if a serious threat to public order or internal security is identified. The European Commission emphasizes that such checks should be limited and used only when necessary. Both Spain and Italy are members of Schengen, and their current measures add temporary screening without suspending normal travel between their borders.
Travelers from Italy arriving in Spain should anticipate potential identity and immigration checks at Spanish airports and ports during the enforcement period. On its first day, Spain conducted inspections at six major airports, inspecting nearly 200 passengers. Italy continues its separate checks on certain non-EU arrivals from Spain as scheduled. These measures are temporary within the Schengen framework, with Spain’s controls scheduled to remain until Sept. 7.