Spain has introduced border controls on air and sea travel from Italy as a dispute between the two EU countries over irregular migration escalates.
The new restrictions come after Italy introduced similar measures on Spain after 78,000 migrants from Morocco crossed into the Spanish exclave of Ceuta.
Passport, nationality and visa checks would be conducted for Italian passengers and visitors from other countries arriving from Italy, Spain said, blaming “persistent irregular migratory pressure,” from Italy.
The government of right-wing Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni previously said that Rome’s checks would remain until at least 15 August.
The Italian government justified the suspension of the border-free Schengen arrangement by saying it was an attempt to stop migrants who had entered Ceuta on 30 July from crossing into Italy.
“This is an extraordinary measure, adopted to safeguard national security and prevent possible repercussions for our Nation. The measure will be kept in force only for the time necessary, with particular attention to limiting any impact on summer tourist flows,” Meloni said in a statement on 31 July.
Madrid’s left-wing government demanded that Italy reverse the restrictions by Sunday and said that the migrants who entered Ceuta, which is on the north African coast, had no way of entering the Schengen zone.
Meloni has positioned herself as one of Europe's leading advocates of tighter immigration controls, while Sanchez has generally defended a more liberal approach and recently backed a large-scale regularisation programme for undocumented migrants.
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