Spain and Italy reinstate border checks as migration feud deepens
Spain and Italy have mutually reintroduced passport controls on flights and ships between the two countries amid an escalating clash between Prime Ministers Pedro Sánchez and Giorgia Meloni over migration policy. The measures are causing delays for travelers and raising questions about Schengen's resilience.
Spain restored border checks on ships and flights arriving from Italy on Saturday, suspending passport-free travel between the two countries. Madrid said the step was needed to protect citizens from migration pressure affecting Italy.
The move was retaliation for checks Italy imposed on August 1 for travelers arriving from Spain. Rome justified its controls by citing fears that unauthorized migrants who arrived in the Spanish exclave of Ceuta could cross the Strait of Gibraltar and travel onward through the passport-free Schengen area.
Spanish authorities and the European Commission confirmed this week that none of the roughly 72,000 people who arrived in Ceuta have crossed the strait, since they lack the valid identification required to travel to mainland Europe.
Although Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi publicly praised Spain and expressed solidarity on Tuesday, Rome refused to lift its checks. On Friday, Madrid threatened "proportional measures" unless Italy changed course by August 9. Meloni's office responded that Italy does not accept ultimatums on national security, prompting Spain to reintroduce its own controls.
A deeper ideological rift
The dispute reflects a broader divide between Meloni, who has built her political brand on opposing migration and pushing for tougher EU border controls, and Sánchez, who argues the bloc needs more foreign workers to remain economically competitive. Meloni previously criticized Spain's scheme to grant legal status to more than a million unauthorized migrants and led a letter from 22 EU leaders criticizing Madrid's migration approach.
Spain has rejected the accusations, noting that none of the Ceuta arrivals qualify under its legalization scheme, and pointing out that Italy has recorded significantly more irregular border crossings than Spain in recent years.
Schengen rules allow member states to reintroduce border checks for up to six months over security concerns, renewable for up to three years in exceptional cases. Few expect the dispute to last that long, but travelers in both countries are already facing delays and extra checks — some 3.2 million Spaniards traveled to Italy in 2024, and 5.4 million Italians visited Spain.
