MADRID, SPAIN / RankWire.AI / – Spain has initiated temporary border controls for passengers arriving from Italy via air and sea. These measures commenced at midnight on Aug. 8 and are scheduled to remain in effect until Sept. 7. Authorities are verifying passports, nationality, and visa status where applicable. The controls apply to Italian travelers and other passengers entering Spain from Italy. This action follows Italy’s earlier implementation of temporary checks on certain arrivals from Spain.
Spain’s Interior Ministry reported that officers examined 199 passengers on 12 flights from Italy during the first day of enforcement. The inspections took place at airports in Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, Bilbao, Alicante, and Valencia. Travelers on affected routes might undergo document checks before completing their arrival procedures. These controls do not constitute a border closure. Air and sea connections between Spain and Italy continue as long as the temporary measures are in force.
Italy reintroduced checks on Aug. 1 following a significant influx of migrants entering Ceuta from Morocco in late July. Italian authorities applied their measure to non-EU nationals arriving from Spain by air and sea. Citizens of Spain, Italy, and other EU countries were not targeted by these controls. Italy notified European authorities that the measures would be in place through Sept. 1. Subsequently, Spain also implemented its own checks after calling for the Italian restrictions to be lifted.
Ceuta Migration Surge Preceded 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 of those migrants had already left the territory. Ceuta, situated on the North African coast, remains outside the Schengen Area. This migration wave occurred before Italy restored controls on certain travelers from Spain. Subsequently, Spain announced checks for passengers arriving from Italy through its airports and seaports.
Madrid revealed its plan for Spanish checks on Aug. 7, following objections to the restrictions introduced by Rome. Spain argued that Italy’s controls lacked justification and unfairly discriminated against Spain. Italy maintained its measures, and Spain began its own inspections the next day. The two governments set different expiration dates for their current controls; Italy’s measures are scheduled to end on Sept. 1, while Spain’s will remain until Sept. 7.
Schengen Rules Allow for Temporary Border Checks
Under normal circumstances, the Schengen Area permits travelers to cross internal borders without routine passport inspections. However, its regulations authorize governments to reintroduce temporary controls if a serious threat to public order or internal security emerges. The European Commission emphasizes that governments should resort to internal border checks only when necessary and for limited durations. Spain and Italy are still members of the Schengen Area. Their current measures involve temporary screening measures that do not halt regular travel between the two countries.
Travelers moving from Italy to Spain should anticipate potential identity and immigration checks at Spanish airports and seaports during the enforcement period. Spain recorded its first day of inspections across six major airports, examining nearly 200 travelers. Italy continues its separate checks on targeted non-EU arrivals from Spain under its notified schedule. Both measures are temporary within the Schengen framework, with Spain’s current timetable extending through Sept. 7.