Spain to impose temporary border checks on arrivals from Italy
Madrid, Aug 8
Spain has announced that it would temporarily restore internal border checks for travellers arriving from Italy in response to Rome's refusal to lift border controls on travellers arriving from Spain amid the recent migration crisis in the Spanish North African enclave of Ceuta.
The temporary checks at ports and airports will take effect at the start of Saturday and remain in force until September 7 unless circumstances change, according to a statement released by the Spanish government on Friday (local time).
The measures will include random identity and document checks.
The Spanish government said Italy had unilaterally reintroduced border checks on travellers arriving from Spain on August 1 without prior notification, describing the measures as "unjustified, discriminatory and contrary to the interests of the European Union (EU)."
Spain has called on Italy to withdraw the measures immediately.
Earlier Friday, the Italian government said it would maintain temporary checks on third-country nationals arriving from Spain until at least Aug. 15, citing national security and border-management concerns.
Rome said it "does not accept ultimatums or external pressure" on matters concerning national security and border management.
It also stressed that the controls 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, reports Xinhua news agency.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced the border control measures on July 31 following a massive influx of migrants into Ceuta. About 80,000 people entered the Spanish enclave at the end of July, nearly 75,000 of whom subsequently returned voluntarily.
Between 3,000 and 5,000 migrants remain in the enclave, overwhelming reception facilities and creating a severe humanitarian emergency, Ceuta President Juan Jesus Vivas said on Thursday.
The influx has fueled tensions among EU member states over border controls and the possible onward movement of migrants within the Schengen area.
— IANS
Reader Comments
This is why the EU is so frustrating to watch. They have rules (Schengen) but when things get tough, every country does "jugaad" and goes their own way. Meanwhile, thousands of people are suffering in Ceuta. Europe needs a genuine collective solution, not these petty retaliatory measures.
Spain says Italy's checks are "unjustified and discriminatory" but then Spain does the exact same thing to Italy. Pot calling the kettle black. 😂 Meanwhile, we in India know a thing or two about migration crises — the way we handled the Rohingya situation wasn't perfect either, but at least we didn't start blaming neighbouring states publicly.
I think Italy is right to be cautious. If 3,000-5,000 migrants are stuck in Ceuta without proper facilities, some may try to move deeper into Europe. It's not about discrimination; it's about national security. Spain should understand this concern instead of just reacting defensively.
The blind leading the blind. 🤦♀️ Instead of working together on a shared asylum policy, EU members are busy making each other look bad. We Indians see the same pattern within our own state borders sometimes. The migrant issue is complex — it requires empathy AND security, not just one at the expense of the other.
Giorgia Meloni is known for her tough stance on immigration. This isn't surprising at all. But what IS surprising is how quickly Spain escalated this diplomatically. They could have handled this through back-channel discussions instead of making public statements that only escalate tensions. Some things are best sorted out quietly.
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