MADRID, SPAIN / RankWire.AI / – Starting at midnight on Aug. 8, Spain has initiated temporary border controls for individuals arriving from Italy by air and sea. These measures are set to last until Sept. 7 and involve verifying travel and immigration documents on routes that typically operate without routine internal border checks. The step follows Italy’s earlier decision to reintroduce controls on certain passengers arriving from Spain.
According to Spain’s Interior Ministry, 199 passengers on 12 flights from Italy were checked on the first day. Control procedures took place at airports in Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, Bilbao, Alicante, and Valencia. These checks include passport verification, nationality, and visa status where applicable. Despite the temporary controls, flights and maritime services connecting Spain and Italy remain operational.
Italy enacted its own temporary border measures starting August 1 following a significant influx of migrants into Ceuta from Morocco. Rome’s checks targeted non-EU citizens arriving from Spain by air or sea, excluding Italian, Spanish, and other EU nationals. Italy informed European authorities that its controls would be in place until Sept. 1 under the current schedule.
Ceuta influx predated border restrictions
Approximately 72,000 migrants entered Ceuta during the large influx from Morocco that began in late July. Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska stated that by Aug. 4, roughly 70,000 migrants had left the territory. Ceuta, situated on the North African coast outside the Schengen Area, was the site of this migration surge, which preceded Italy’s temporary checks and Spain’s decision to impose controls on arrivals from Italy.
Madrid had urged Rome to lift its restrictions prior to Spain’s announcement of new checks on Aug. 7. Spain argued that the Italian measures lacked justification and were unfairly targeting the country. While Italy maintained its controls, Spain implemented its own temporary border measures the following day. Each nation has set different expiration dates for their respective controls, and regular air and sea connections continue between them.
Temporary border controls are permissible under Schengen rules
Although the Schengen Area generally allows free movement across internal borders without routine passport checks among member states, it permits governments to reintroduce controls when facing significant threats to public order or internal security. The European Commission states that such measures should be used only when necessary and for limited periods. Spain and Italy remain within the Schengen framework while their temporary border controls are active.
Travelers arriving in Spain from Italy should anticipate possible identity and immigration document inspections at airports and seaports. On the opening day of the measure, Spain conducted checks at six major airports. Meanwhile, Italy continues its targeted controls on arrivals from Spain as per its scheduled timeline. Spain intends to maintain its border checks until Sept. 7, and there is no plan to halt passenger travel between the two nations during this period.