Schengen between Spain and Italy suspended
On Friday, Spain announced the temporary reinstatement of internal border controls for travellers arriving from Italy, in response to Rome's refusal to lift border checks for travellers arriving from Spain, amid the recent migration crisis in the Spanish North African enclave of Ceuta. When two European Union member states begin erecting barriers against each other, and the Schengen Area – the symbol of free movement – begins to crack, it becomes clear: the migration crisis has ceased to be an external problem; it has divided Europe from within.
Spain, faced with an unprecedented influx of migrants in Ceuta, accuses Italy of discriminatory measures, while Rome insists on its right to protect its borders. Temporary checks at ports and airports are not just a bureaucratic step – they are a symptom of deep mistrust between allies, where each country tries to shift the burden onto its neighbour.
The temporary checks at ports and airports will take effect on Saturday morning and will remain in place until 7 September, unless circumstances change, the Spanish government said in a statement. The measures will include random checks of documents and identity cards. The Spanish government said Italy had unilaterally reinstated border controls for travellers arriving from Spain on 1 August without prior notice, calling the measures "unjustified, discriminatory and contrary to the interests of the European Union (EU)".
Spain called on Italy to immediately cancel the measures. Earlier on Friday, the Italian government said it would maintain temporary checks on third country nationals arriving from Spain until at least 15 August, citing national security and border management concerns. Rome said it "does not accept ultimatums or external pressure" on matters of national security and border management. It also stressed that the checks do not apply to Spanish or other EU citizens travelling by air or sea, adding that Italian border authorities would seek to minimise disruption to legitimate cross border travel.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced the border control measures on 31 July following the mass influx of migrants into Ceuta. In late July, about 80,000 people entered the Spanish enclave, nearly 75,000 of whom subsequently returned voluntarily. Between 3,000 and 5,000 migrants remain in the enclave, overwhelming reception centres and creating a serious humanitarian emergency, Ceuta's president Juan Jesús Vivas said on Thursday.
The Schengen Agreement, which guarantees freedom of movement for more than 400 million EU citizens, allows for the temporary reinstatement of border controls in exceptional circumstances, but such measures usually require prior notification and coordination. The conflict between Spain and Italy exposes growing divisions within the union over migration issues: southern countries, which bear the brunt, demand greater solidarity from their northern neighbours.
Ceuta, where tens of thousands of migrants have arrived in a matter of weeks, has become a symbol of this tension. Madrid's retaliatory measures could trigger a chain reaction, with other EU countries also imposing unilateral restrictions, threatening the very existence of the Schengen Area. Experts warn that if the crisis is not resolved at the European level, such disputes will become routine, and the idea of a "united Europe" will become increasingly illusory.
As CCTV+ reports, the temporary restoration of borders between Spain and Italy is a warning sign for the entire European Union, showing that the migration crisis can dismantle even the most robust integration mechanisms, and if Brussels does not offer an effective solution, Europe risks returning to an era of national barriers.
