Spain, Italy clash over migration as border controls tighten
Spain has announced plans to introduce border controls on flights and ships arriving from Italy, starting at midnight on Saturday and continuing until September 7, amid an escalating dispute between the two countries over irregular migration.
The Spanish government said passport, nationality and visa checks would be carried out on Italian passengers and other travellers arriving from Italy, citing continued irregular migration pressure.
Madrid said the measures would remain in place for as long as Italy maintained its own border restrictions. Rome introduced those controls following a reported mass migration surge involving about 72,000 people heading towards Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta on July 30.
Earlier on Friday, Italy rejected what it described as “ultimatums or impositions” from Spain and said it would keep its border controls on arrivals from Spain in place until at least August 15.
Spain had warned that it would impose similar restrictions on travellers from Italy unless Rome withdrew the controls it introduced the previous week after a large influx of migrants from Morocco into Ceuta.
In response, the Italian government said it would only reconsider its decision after establishing that there were no security or terrorism threats, no further major migration surge and no irregular migrants attempting to enter European territory.
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