The Spanish government announced Friday that it will impose restrictions on flights and ships arriving from Italy starting midnight Saturday until September 7, marking an escalation in a dispute with Italy over migration policies.
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It added that the measures will include passport, nationality, and visa checks for Italians and visitors arriving from Italy "amid ongoing pressure from irregular migration."
Spain stated that these measures will be applied while Italy implements its own actions, which Rome said were driven by the massive influx of approximately 72,000 migrants into Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta on July 30.
On Friday, Spain warned Italy that it would take countermeasures if Rome does not lift its suspension of the Schengen Agreement on free movement between European countries this week, which was imposed following the influx of migrants from Morocco into Ceuta.
A statement issued by the Spanish government read: "We urge the government of Italy to rectify the situation, end inspection operations, and treat Spaniards like other European citizens. If it fails to do so before the end of Sunday, August 9, Spain will be forced to take proportionate measures to protect the interests and dignity of its citizens."
This rare dispute between two EU and NATO allies emerged after 72,000 migrants crossed the border from Morocco into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta last week in an unprecedented wave of migration.
Scenes of the migrant surge sparked sharp criticism from other EU member states advocating for a strict stance on illegal migration and the protection of the bloc's external borders, led by Italy.
Italy temporarily suspended the Schengen Agreement with Spain for a month, closed its sea and air access points to Spain, and enhanced monitoring and inspection operations at land borders.
The Spanish government again condemned Italy's position on Friday, describing the measure as "unjust, contrary to the interests of the European Union, and discriminatory against the Spanish people."
In its statement, the government did not specify the exact nature of the measures it intends to take.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni had announced that suspending the Schengen Agreement with Spain starting July 31 for one month is an "exceptional measure" aimed at "safeguarding national security and preventing potential fallout on our country."
Meloni, alongside other European leaders, also called for suspending Spain's membership in the Schengen Area, though such a decision is legally impossible.
The Spanish government warned against "stoking sterile divisions and conflicts driven by domestic electoral motives," expressing confidence that "pro-European sentiment, logic, and good faith will ultimately prevail."
Out of the 72,000 migrants who arrived in Ceuta, 70,000 have returned to Morocco, according to official Spanish statistics.
However, those who remain—including hundreds of unaccompanied minors—are suffering from shortages of food, water, shelter, and sanitation facilities.
The two enclaves periodically experience waves of crossing attempts by migrants seeking to reach Europe, but the crossing of nearly 50,000 people in a single day appears unprecedented, with Spain describing it as the biggest crisis since at least 2021.
Migration remains a sensitive issue across Europe, where right-wing parties have gained ground over the past decade since the 2015 crisis, when more than one million people crossed the continent—mostly on foot—seeking asylum, many fleeing the war in Syria.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez urged European leaders "not to divide" over the migrant crisis in Spain's Ceuta on the northern coast of Morocco, responding to sharp criticism leveled by several leaders, including Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
Reuters
