MADRID, SPAIN / RankWire.AI / – Spain has initiated temporary border inspections for individuals arriving from Italy by air and sea, starting at midnight on August 8. These checks are scheduled to continue until September 7. Officials are verifying passports, nationality, and visa status where applicable. The measures affect Italian travelers and other passengers entering Spain from Italy. This step follows Italy’s earlier implementation of temporary checks on certain arrivals from Spain.
On the first day of enforcement, Spain’s Interior Ministry reported that officers examined 199 passengers on 12 flights originating from Italy. The inspections took place at airports in Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, Bilbao, Alicante, and Valencia. Travelers on affected routes might face document verification before completing their arrival procedures. These controls do not constitute a border closure; air and sea links between Spain and Italy remain operational while the temporary measures are in effect.
Italy reintroduced checks on August 1 following a significant influx of migrants entering Ceuta from Morocco in late July. The Italian authorities applied their measures to non-EU nationals arriving from Spain via air and sea, excluding Spanish, Italian, and other EU citizens from the targeted controls. Italy notified European authorities that its measures would be in place through September 1. Spain later introduced its own border checks after requesting the removal of Italian restrictions.
Ceuta migration preceded the bilateral controls
Approximately 72,000 migrants entered Ceuta amid the large movement from Morocco that began in late July. Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska stated on August 4 that about 70,000 individuals had already left the territory. Ceuta, located on the North African coast, remains outside the Schengen Area. This migration event occurred before Italy reinstated controls on specific travelers from Spain. Subsequently, Spain announced its own checks for passengers arriving from Italy via airports and ports.
Madrid announced the Spanish border measures on August 7 after protesting against the restrictions imposed by Rome. Spain argued that Italy’s controls lacked justification and were discriminatory. Italy maintained its measures, and Spain began its inspections the following day. The two countries have set different end dates for their current border controls—Italy’s are valid through September 1, while Spain’s are scheduled to last until September 7.
Temporary border controls permitted within the Schengen Agreement
Under normal conditions, the Schengen Area allows travelers to move freely across internal borders without routine passport checks. However, the rules permit governments to reintroduce temporary controls if they identify serious threats to public policy or internal security. According to the European Commission, internal border checks should only be used when necessary and for limited durations. Spain and Italy are both members of the Schengen Area, and their current measures involve temporary screening without halting regular travel between the two nations.
Travelers from Italy to Spain should be prepared for possible identity and immigration checks at Spanish airports and ports during the control period. Spain reported its first day of inspections across six major airports, involving nearly 200 travelers. Meanwhile, Italy continues its separate checks on targeted non-EU arrivals from Spain as per its notified schedule. Both sets of controls are temporary within the Schengen framework, with Spain’s current timetable extending through September 7.