Spain is threatening to impose retaliatory measures in response to Italy's inspections
The Spanish government has stated that it will take proportionate measures against travelers from Italy if Rome does not lift the controls it has imposed on people arriving from Spain by Sunday, August 9. The Italian government announced these measures amid a mass influx of people into the Spanish exclave of Ceuta, which borders Morocco.
Madrid called Italy’s decision “unjustified, contrary to the interests of the European Union, and discriminatory toward the Spanish population.” The Spanish government stated that the grounds for the restrictions are contrived: in its view, people who bypassed border controls in Ceuta had no real chance of reaching the European mainland, let alone Italy.
According to Spain’s estimates, most of the approximately 72,000 people who arrived in Ceuta returned to Morocco within a few days. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez also noted that in recent years, the number of irregular migrants arriving in Italy has been higher than in Spain.
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In response, Italy stated that it would not accept “ultimatums or impositions” from Madrid. Rome announced its intention to maintain the suspension of Schengen Zone rules for non-EU citizens arriving from Spain until at least August 15.
Any potential checks are largely symbolic, as Spain and Italy do not share a land border, and most travelers who might be affected travel by air. Deutsche Welle English notes that the details of how Italy’s checks were implemented last week remain unclear.
Migration analyst Gerald Knaus called Italy’s decision “pure populism” and an “absolutely bizarre” measure. In his view, the decision should be viewed primarily in the context of domestic politics and politicians’ reactions to footage of the events in Ceuta circulating on social media.
