Spain will implement border controls for travelers from Italy
Spain will introduce border controls for travelers arriving from Italy amid an escalating dispute between the two EU countries over the migration situation in the Spanish exclave of Ceuta. According to BBC News, the restrictions are set to take effect at midnight—10:00 p.m. GMT.
Madrid’s decision was made a week after Italy introduced similar checks. Rome explained that they were necessary to prevent people who had entered Ceuta from Morocco from moving on to Italy. Last week, approximately 78,000 migrants arrived in the exclave.
On Friday, Spain demanded that Italy lift its restrictions by Sunday. In response, Rome stated that it does not accept “ultimatums” and plans to maintain the controls at least until August 15. The Italian side also claims that Spain is expecting a new wave of migration to Ceuta.
At the same time, Spanish authorities have not announced that they expect new mass crossings. According to El País, reports of a possible new attempt were circulating on social media among Moroccan users. The Spanish Prime Minister’s Office told the publication that they are monitoring the situation but do not expect a repeat of last week’s events.
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Madrid called Italy’s arguments unfounded, since, according to the Spanish side, the migrants who arrived in Ceuta had no way of entering the Schengen Area. Spanish officials also stated that the vast majority of these people have already returned to Morocco.
European Commissioner for Migration Magnus Brunner suggested that criminal networks spreading disinformation may have been involved in the mass crossing. The Spanish government agreed with this assessment. Nearly 1,400 minors, including very young boys and girls, remain in Ceuta. Spain’s Minister for Youth Affairs, Sira Rego, stated that the system was overwhelmed but that the situation is gradually being brought under control.
Italy emphasized that Spanish citizens are exempt from additional checks, which apply only to non-EU residents. However, El País reported queues at several airports, where passengers on flights from Spain were directed to separate security checkpoints.
