Madrid Announces Controls On Travellers From Italy Until September 7. Italy Had Imposed Month-Long Checks On Spain July 31 Over Unprecedented Ceuta Influx From Morocco. Almost All Migrants Returned Within 48 Hours
According to Dawn/AFP, Spain began border checks on travellers arriving from Italy on August 9, 2026, in direct retaliation for Rome’s decision to impose a month of border controls on Spain from July 31; suspending the EU’s Schengen Area visa-free travel arrangements between two NATO allies and EU partners.
The dispute was triggered by an unprecedented migration event: more than 70,000 migrants crossed from Morocco into Spain’s north African enclave of Ceuta on July 30 and 31, causing alarm across European nations; particularly right-wing governments pressing for stricter irregular migration policies.
However, almost all of those who crossed returned to Morocco within 48 hours, and Ceuta’s rules prevent migrants from travelling onward to continental Europe without passing an additional layer of border checks.
Spain’s left-wing government said Italy’s hard-right government had “unfairly” imposed the checks citing “persistent irregular migration pressure”; language Madrid then echoed in its own justification for counter-measures announced Friday. Spain’s interior ministry confirmed the new checks on incoming travellers from Italy would apply until September 7.
“I don’t see a lot of the word ‘diplomacy’ used in these decisions, not by the Italian government, nor by the Spanish government,” said Maria Celeste Grillo, a 36-year-old Italian tourist who had just flown into Madrid, adding she found the measures “sad.”
Two EU NATO allies. One migration event. Both Schengen agreements suspended. Diplomacy: apparently optional. Check out our previous coverage of world news on The Trusted Times.
