Ceuta: Spain announces border controls with Italy

Madrid, Rome. Spain is reacting with its own border controls to Italy's refusal to lift the controls introduced due to the Ceuta migration crisis. From Saturday at 00:00, travellers from Italy would initially be checked at random at ports and airports until September 7, the state Spanish TV station RTVE cited from a decree by the government in Madrid published in the evening.

The checks will include the identity and nationality of travellers, as well as, in the case of non-EU citizens, their visa or residence permit. The reason given was the "ongoing pressure of irregular migration" that Italy is exposed to.

The left-wing government in Madrid reacted to the rejection of its ultimatum, which had demanded that the right-wing Italian government and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni withdraw the border controls introduced since last Saturday due to the mass rush of up to 72,000 migrants to Spain's North Africa exclave Ceuta by Sunday. Meloni made it clear that she would not be dictated to by an ultimatum.

"Italy does not accept ultimatums or foreign guidelines on national security and border control," a statement from her office said, which was available to the German Press Agency. Italy will maintain its controls at least until August 15 and in any case as long as "security and terrorism risks for Italy are not fully excluded."