Italy and Spain to end border checks — ANSA English

Italy and Spain have agreed to end selective checks on travelers arriving from each other’s territory and fully restore the application of Schengen Area rules. According to sources reported by ANSA English, the restrictions will not be extended after they expire on Friday.

Agreement between ministers

The decision was agreed by Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi and his Spanish counterpart Fernando Grande-Marlaska during a telephone conversation, agency sources said.

Earlier, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez discussed the issue on the sidelines of the EU summit last week.

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Checks had been in place since August

On August 1, Italy introduced one-month controls for passengers arriving from Spain by air and sea. Rome explained this by security concerns following the migration crisis in Ceuta.

In response, Spain introduced selective checks for travelers from Italy, and both countries extended these measures several times. Madrid and Italian opposition parties criticized Rome’s initial decision, calling it propaganda. They noted that entry into Ceuta does not automatically mean access to the Schengen Area, and that Italy does not share a border with Spain.