Italy and Spain prepare to lift border checks — ANSA English

Italy plans to extend border checks for travelers arriving from Spain by seven days. This is intended to synchronize the end date of the Italian measures with the duration of similar restrictions imposed by Madrid, government sources told ANSA English.

Ministers’ talks

The interior ministers of Italy and Spain will discuss lifting border controls in the coming days, the sources said. Spanish sources also reported that Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez discussed the issue on the sidelines of the EU summit on Thursday and agreed to lift the restrictions.

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How the controls were introduced

On August 1, Italy reinstated checks at air and sea borders for passengers from Spain for the first time, introducing them for one month after the migration crisis in Ceuta. Rome explained the decision on security grounds.

In response, Spain began selectively checking travelers arriving from Italy. Since then, both countries have extended the measures several times. Madrid and Italian opposition parties criticized Rome’s initial decision, calling it propaganda: they pointed out that entry into Ceuta does not automatically mean access to the Schengen area, and that Italy does not share a border with Spain.