MADRID, SPAIN / RankWire.AI / – The Spanish authorities have initiated temporary border controls for individuals arriving from Italy by air and sea. These measures, enacted at midnight on Aug. 8, are set to last until Sept. 7. Officials are conducting passport, nationality, and visa status verifications where necessary. The restrictions target Italian travelers and other passengers entering Spain from Italy. This step follows Italy’s earlier implementation of temporary checks on certain arrivals from Spain.
According to Spain’s Interior Ministry, officers examined 199 passengers on 12 flights originating from Italy on the first day of the enforcement. These inspections were carried out at airports in Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, Bilbao, Alicante, and Valencia. Travelers on the affected routes may undergo document verification before completing their arrival procedures. It’s important to note that these checks do not constitute a border closure. Air and sea links between Spain and Italy remain operational while the temporary controls are in effect.
Italy reintroduced checks on Aug. 1 following a significant influx of migrants entering Ceuta from Morocco in late July. Italian authorities applied these controls to non-EU nationals arriving from Spain via air and sea. Citizens of Spain, Italy, and other EU countries were not targeted by these measures. Italy informed European authorities that the checks would continue until Sept. 1. Subsequently, Spain announced its own border inspections after calling for the removal of Italian restrictions.
Ceuta migration event preceded bilateral border measures
Approximately 72,000 migrants crossed into Ceuta during the large-scale movement from Morocco that began in late July. Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska stated on Aug. 4 that roughly 70,000 of these individuals had already left the territory. Ceuta is located on the North African coast and remains outside the Schengen Area. The migration surge occurred before Italy reinstated controls on certain travelers from Spain. Spain then announced that it would conduct checks on passengers arriving from Italy through its airports and ports.
Madrid revealed the Spanish border measures on Aug. 7 after expressing opposition to Italy’s restrictions. Spain argued that Italy’s controls lacked justification and constituted discrimination. Italy maintained its own measures, and Spain commenced its inspections the following day. Each country set different end dates for their respective controls—Italy’s are scheduled to end on Sept. 1, while Spain’s are planned to last until Sept. 7.
Temporary border controls allowed within the Schengen Agreement
Typically, the Schengen Area permits travelers to cross internal borders without routine passport checks. However, its rules allow governments to impose temporary controls if a serious threat to public policy or internal security is identified. The European Commission advises that internal border checks should only be used when necessary and for limited durations. Both Spain and Italy remain members of the Schengen Area. Their current measures involve temporary screening procedures without suspending normal travel between the two nations.
Travelers from Italy arriving in Spain should anticipate possible identity and immigration checks at Spanish airports and seaports during the control period. On its first enforcement day, Spain conducted checks at six major airports, inspecting nearly 200 passengers. Meanwhile, Italy continues its separate checks on targeted non-EU arrivals from Spain according to its scheduled timeline. Both sets of controls are temporary measures within the Schengen framework, with Spain’s measures scheduled to remain in place until Sept. 7.