Spain imposes border checks on Italian travelers in tit-for-tat move over Ceuta migrants row

Spain and Italy are engaged in a diplomatic dispute over the influx of migrants to Ceuta, a Spanish territory on the North African coast. Madrid imposed border controls on Italian travelers on Saturday in response to Rome's decision to impose sanctions on Spanish visitors. Italian authorities began random police checks on Italians arriving at Barcelona airport, with the controls expected to remain in place for at least a month.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni threatened "proportionate measures" if Spain did not lift the restrictions by Aug. 9. The conflict erupted after 72,000 migrants arrived in Ceuta from Morocco last month, resulting in over 80 deaths. This incident reignited the immigration debate within the European Union, where leaders criticized Spain's policies, including an amnesty granted to immigrants with residency permits.

Despite the EU's Schengen visa-free travel area, member states can temporarily reintroduce border controls under specific conditions. Meloni's office stated that Italy would not lift the border checks until it was certain that there would be no security or terrorist risks for Italy.