MADRID, SPAIN / RankWire.AI / – Spain has implemented temporary border checks for those arriving from Italy by air and sea. The controls started at midnight on Aug. 8 and will last until Sept. 7. Officials now verify travel documents and immigration papers on routes that usually do not have internal border controls. This measure follows Italy’s earlier decision to restore checks on certain passengers arriving from Spain.
On the first day, Spain’s Interior Ministry reported checks on 199 passengers traveling on 12 flights from Italy. Border officers conducted inspections at airports in Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, Bilbao, Alicante, and Valencia. These checks include passport, nationality, and visa status verification where needed. Despite the new controls, flights and maritime services between Spain and Italy continue operating normally.
Italy introduced its own temporary checks on Aug. 1 after a large number of migrants arrived in Ceuta from Morocco. Italy’s measures targeted non-EU nationals arriving from Spain by air or sea. Citizens of Italy, Spain, and other EU countries were not included in these restrictions. Italy informed European authorities that its controls would last until Sept. 1, according to the current schedule.
Ceuta arrivals set stage for border measures
Around 72,000 migrants crossed into Ceuta during the large influx from Morocco that started in late July. Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska stated that by Aug. 4, roughly 70,000 migrants had left the territory. Ceuta is located on the North African coast and is outside the Schengen Area. This influx preceded Italy’s introduction of temporary checks. It also led Spain to decide on its own controls for arrivals from Italy.
Madrid had called on Rome to remove its restrictions before Spain announced its new border checks on Aug. 7. Spain argued that Italy’s measures lacked justification and were unfair. Italy continued its controls while Spain introduced its own temporary system the following day. Each country has set different expiration dates for their measures. Regular air and sea connections between Spain and Italy remain available during this period.
Schengen rules permit temporary border checks
Typically, the Schengen Area allows free movement across internal borders without routine passport controls among member states. However, its rules permit governments to reintroduce checks temporarily if there is a serious threat to public policy or internal security. The European Commission advises that such measures should only be used when necessary and for a limited time. Spain and Italy continue to be part of the Schengen Area while their temporary border controls are active.
Travelers arriving in Spain from Italy should expect possible checks of identity and immigration documents at airports and seaports. The first inspections took place at six major airports on the first day of the new measures. Italy maintains its separate controls on targeted arrivals from Spain according to its notified schedule. Spain plans to keep its checks in place until Sept. 7, with no suspension of passenger travel between the two countries.