The Government of Spain has formally demanded that Italy immediately withdraw the border controls unilaterally imposed on August 1st on passengers arriving from Spanish airports and ports.
La Moncloa has set a deadline of next Sunday, August 9th; if there is no rectification before the end of the day, Spain will adopt proportional measures in response.
The Italian Executive's decision to reintroduce border inspections in the middle of the summer season has generated disruptions in the mobility of thousands of travelers and legal uncertainty.
According to the Spanish Executive, this action breaks the usual dynamic of the Schengen area as it was carried out without prior notice and based on arguments they consider unfounded.
Among the points put forward by Madrid to highlight the lack of justification for the Italian measure is that "no migrant in an irregular situation who has recently arrived in Ceuta can freely access the Schengen area, given the special regime that the autonomous city has". Furthermore, the vast majority of the people who entered last week have already been returned to Morocco.
It also recalls that, according to the European agency Frontex, Italy leads the records for irregular crossings in recent years, sometimes doubling Spain's figures. Likewise, it is denounced that Rome has been in breach of the Dublin Regulation since 2022, diverting migratory pressure towards other EU partners.
In addition, the Spanish government has underlined its historic solidarity with Italy—which includes the reception of migrants from Lampedusa in 2023 and the regular opening of its ports for rescues in the central Mediterranean—emphasizing that it has never imposed controls on travelers arriving from Italian territory.
The Government describes Rome's stance as unjust, discriminatory, and contrary to the common interest of the European Union, attributing the decision to internal political motivations. With an appeal to dialogue and a sense of European cooperation as the priority path, Madrid makes its intention clear to activate retaliatory measures if the controls are not lifted before the established deadline.
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