Migration & Borders
Spain starts Italy border checks after migrant row
Spain started border checks on travellers arriving from Italy on August 8, responding to similar controls imposed by Rome after a mass migrant crossing into the Spanish North African enclave of Ceuta.
Spain’s interior ministry said the checks on incoming travellers from Italy would remain in place until September 7. Madrid announced the measure on Friday, citing what it called persistent irregular migration pressure facing Italy.
Spain’s government has complained that Italy unfairly imposed one month of checks on travellers from Spain on July 31, suspending the European Union’s Schengen Area visa-free travel arrangements because of the Ceuta influx.
More than 70,000 migrants crossed from Morocco into Ceuta on July 30 and 31, though almost all returned to Morocco within 48 hours. Rules for Ceuta mean migrants cannot travel onward to continental Europe without passing another layer of border checks.
EU migration chief Magnus Brunner said he had been in contact with the Spanish and Italian interior ministers and that both confirmed the internal border controls were temporary. He said Spanish authorities had assured him the Ceuta events would have no lasting effect on the Schengen area, adding that there were signals from Italy that controls could be lifted soon.
Update
EU migration chief Magnus Brunner said he had spoken with the Spanish and Italian interior ministers and that both confirmed the border controls were temporary.
Brunner said Spain had assured him the Ceuta events would have no lasting effect on the Schengen area.
Brunner said there were signals from Italy that controls could be lifted soon.
Source note: AFP news report published on 8 August 2026 at 19:21:18 UTC.
Update
Spain started border checks on travellers arriving from Italy on Saturday.
Spain's interior ministry said the checks would apply until September 7.
Source note: AFP news report published on 8 August 2026 at 15:09:30 UTC.
Update
Spain said checks on travellers from Italy will start at midnight on Saturday.
Spain said the temporary checks will last until September 7.
The Spanish interior ministry linked the move to persistent irregular migration pressure facing Italy.
Source note: AFP news report published on 7 August 2026 at 19:26:16 UTC.
Update
Spain has imposed border controls for Italy in what was described as a tit-for-tat move.
Source note: AFP news report published on 7 August 2026 at 19:19:49 UTC.
Update
The Moroccan Association for Human Rights and the European Coordination for Human Rights in Morocco said at least 141 deaths had been recorded and warned the toll was likely to rise.
Spain accused Italy of creating rifts and conflicts driven by internal electoral motives.
Source note: AFP news report published on 7 August 2026 at 18:38:40 UTC.
Update
Italy said it had no intention of revising the border-checks decision before August 15.
Italy said it would reconsider only when it was certain there were no security or terrorism risks, no new migration wave and no irregular migrants heading toward European territory.
The checks apply at maritime and air entry points to third-country nationals arriving from Spain; Italy does not share a land border with Spain.
Italy said border authorities would try to ease movement for Spanish and European citizens not affected by the checks.
Local media reported Spanish police were monitoring online rumours about possible fresh migrant arrivals in Ceuta in mid-August, but Spanish authorities have not expressly said they expect a repeat of last week's rush.
Source note: AFP news report published on 7 August 2026 at 15:31:36 UTC.
Update
Italy's measures have included closing maritime and air entry points and reinforcing land border controls.
Italy announced the one-month suspension of Schengen arrangements with Spain on July 31.
Spanish official figures recorded 80 deaths linked to the Ceuta migrant rush, while Morocco's interior ministry said 11 people died on the Moroccan side of the border.
Hundreds of unaccompanied children remain among those still in Ceuta, where conditions are described as dire.
Source note: AFP news report published on 7 August 2026 at 13:10:24 UTC.
Update
Spain said Italy should end the checks before the end of Sunday, August 9.
Spain said it would adopt proportional measures if Italy did not lift the checks by that deadline.
Source note: AFP news report published on 7 August 2026 at 12:35:45 UTC.
Update
Spain warned Italy of countermeasures if border checks are kept, according to a ministry.
Source note: AFP news report published on 7 August 2026 at 12:26:48 UTC.
Update
EU interior ministers held a videoconference on the Ceuta situation at the request of Italy and Denmark and with support from 20 other countries.
Danish Immigration and Integration Minister Morten Bodskov said participants expressed broad support for Denmark's proposals to strengthen EU external border controls.
Copenhagen wants to strengthen Frontex to improve monitoring and forecasting.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen had earlier said the EU should consider suspending Schengen cooperation with Spain.
Source note: AFP news report published on 4 August 2026 at 13:11:12 UTC.
Update
Danish Immigration and Integration Minister Morten Bodskov said Denmark was very satisfied with Spain's response to the Ceuta influx.
Bodskov cited Spain's quick deployment of police and military forces and the return of many migrants to Morocco.
The statement followed Denmark's earlier suggestion that the EU consider suspending Spain from the Schengen area.
Source note: AFP news report published on 4 August 2026 at 12:25:08 UTC.
Update
Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska said after talks with EU counterparts that the Schengen area was not compromised by the Ceuta crisis.
Grande-Marlaska said: “It is clear that in no way was the Schengen area compromised in this crisis.”
Source note: AFP news report published on 4 August 2026 at 12:18:19 UTC.
Update
Spain said the EU Schengen zone was not compromised by the Ceuta migrant influx.
Source note: AFP news report published on 4 August 2026 at 11:56:17 UTC.
Update
French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said France would not seek Spain's suspension from Schengen rules.
Nunez said Spain leaving the Schengen zone was absolutely not on the table and cited cooperation with Spain.
France has stepped up controls at its southern border with Spain.
Italy announced a one-month suspension of its Schengen deal with Spain.
Spanish authorities said almost all of the estimated 60,000 migrants who entered Ceuta had left by Saturday.
Source note: AFP news report published on 1 August 2026 at 11:32:03 UTC.
Uncertainty notes
The exact timing of any lifting of Italy’s controls was not confirmed.
Source
AFP news report published on .