MADRID, SPAIN / RankWire.AI / – Spain has initiated temporary border inspections for individuals arriving from Italy by both air and sea routes. Implemented at midnight on Aug. 8 and set to continue until Sept. 7, the measures involve verifying passports, nationality, and visa status when applicable. These controls target travelers from Italy, including other passengers entering Spain from that country. The step follows Italy’s earlier decision to impose temporary checks on certain arrivals from Spain.
According to Spain’s Interior Ministry, officers examined 199 passengers on 12 flights originating from Italy on the first day of the new enforcement. Inspections took place at airports in Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, Bilbao, Alicante, and Valencia. Travelers on the affected routes could face document verification before completing their entry procedures. These controls do not constitute a border closure; air and sea links between Spain and Italy remain operational while the temporary restrictions are in place.
Italy reintroduced controls on Aug. 1 following a significant influx of migrants into Ceuta from Morocco in late July. Italian authorities limited their measures to non-EU nationals arriving from Spain via air and sea. Citizens of Spain, Italy, and other EU countries were not included in these targeted checks. Italy informed European authorities that the restrictions would stay in effect through Sept. 1. Spain responded later by implementing its own border checks after calling for Italy to withdraw its measures.
Ceuta migrant surge set the stage for bilateral border controls
Nearly 72,000 migrants entered Ceuta during the mass migration from Morocco that began in late July. Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska stated on Aug. 4 that approximately 70,000 individuals had already left the territory. Ceuta, situated on the North African coast and outside the Schengen Area, was the focal point of this migration. This event occurred prior to Italy’s reintroduction of controls on certain travelers from Spain, prompting Spain to announce checks for passengers arriving from Italy via airports and seaports.
Spain announced its border inspection measures on Aug. 7, criticizing Italy’s restrictions as unjustified and discriminatory. Italy maintained its controls, leading Spain to begin its own checks the following day. The two countries set different end dates; Italy’s measures last through Sept. 1, while Spain’s are scheduled until Sept. 7.
Temporary border checks are permitted within the Schengen Agreement
Under normal circumstances, the Schengen Area allows travelers to cross borders between member states without routine passport checks. However, the agreement permits temporary border controls when governments face serious threats to public order or internal security. The European Commission advises that such internal border checks should only be used when necessary and for limited durations. Spain and Italy remain part of the Schengen zone, and their current measures involve temporary screenings without suspending regular cross-border travel.
Travelers from Italy to Spain should anticipate potential identity and immigration checks at Spanish airports and seaports during the enforcement period. On its first day, Spain conducted inspections at six major airports involving nearly 200 travelers. Italy continues separate checks on targeted non-EU arrivals from Spain according to its schedule. Both measures are temporary and fall within the Schengen framework, with Spain’s controls scheduled to remain through Sept. 7.