What's happening with border checks between Italy and Spain?

With border checks now in place both ways for people travelling between Italy and Spain, who exactly are they being applied to and what happens next?

An unprecedented surge of migrants into Spanish territory of Ceuta in North Africa marked the first reignited the European Union’s debate over immigration.

The EU says the tit-for-tat border restrictions between Spain and Italy are temporary and will have no lasting impact on the Schengen zone. Spain began checking travellers from Italy in retaliation for similar controls imposed by Rome after a surge of migrants into Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta. Madrid says mo

The border checks started at midnight on Saturday, a week after Italy introduced similar restrictions on Spanish visitors.

MADRID/MILAN, Aug 9 - Spain checked around 200 travellers arriving from Italy at the country's six largest airports on the first day of border controls reintroduced following a dispute with Italy over irregular migration.

Spain checks 200 Italy arrivals in border controls after migration row  Reuters

Migrants, some of them minors, queue to receive food staples from local NGO Media Luna Blanca in an industrial area where they are sleeping amid recent mass crossings by migrants on foot and by sea from Morocco into the Spanish territory, in Ceuta, Spain, August 6, 2026. REUTERS/Violeta Santos Moura 09 Aug 2026 05:39AM

Spain on Saturday started border checks on travellers arriving from Italy, responding to similar measures Rome imposed following a massive migrant rush into the Spanish north African enclave of Ceuta.

Spain has started border checks on travelers from Italy, escalating a dispute over migrant flows. This move follows Italy’s similar measures after a migran

Spain's government said it would establish border controls for flights and ships from Italy, from midnight on Saturday until September 7, in a dispute over irregular migration.

Spain's government said it would establish border controls for flights and ships from Italy, from midnight on Saturday until September 7, in a dispute over irregular migration.

Italian PM Georgia Meloni’s office on Friday said Italian authorities “have no intention” of lifting border checks on people arriving from Spain.

The spat between Spain and Italy comes after tens of thousands of people crossed from Morocco to Spain’s North African territory on July 30-31 in an unprecedented and deadly rush.

Following Italy’s rejection of its ultimatum to lift the border checks imposed in response to the Ceuta migration crisis, Spain has in turn announced that it will carry out checks on travellers from Italy. From midnight on Saturday, travellers from Italy would initially be subject to random checks at ports and airports

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EU’s Internal Borders Start to Harden as Dispute Grows Over Migrants  WSJ

The invasion of the Spanish city of Ceuta by tens of thousands of young, marauding Moroccans is, like Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol, a tale of how the future could look unless one takes action in the present. It’s also a temptation to succumb to schadenfreude. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez harbors a specia

Spain imposes border checks on Italy as migrant showdown grows  euractiv.com

Spain has introduced border checks for travellers arriving from Italy after Rome's measures over the Ceuta crisis, from IDs to trips with children and pets.

Italy has claimed tighter checks on travellers from Spain will remain in the face of "a new wave of migration" to Ceuta

Spanish police have been monitoring online rumours and social media about possible fresh arrivals in Ceuta in mid-August, according to local media

Spain has implemented temporary border checks on travelers arriving by air and sea from Italy, intensifying tensions between these two European Union nations regarding migration policies. Italy had previously enacted similar measures following a significant influx of migrants into Spain. This ongoing conflict underscor

A sudden move to deepen the dispute could ensnare thousands of travellers moving between the two countries – and erode an agreement on passport checks across Europe.

A sudden move to deepen the dispute could ensnare thousands of travellers moving between the two countries – and erode an agreement on passport checks across Europe.

Passport, nationality, visa checks would be conducted for Italian passengers and visitors from other countries arriving from Italy "amid the persistent irregular migratory pressure" from the country.

Spain had warned Italy it would impose entry checks on visitors unless Rome halts its controls by Sunday. Even though they don't share a land border, the countries entered a spat after the Ceuta border rush.

Italy introduced border controls following an influx of about 78,000 migrants from neighbouring Morocco into the Spanish exclave of Ceuta.

Move widens rift between Pedro Sánchez’s government and rightwing Italian premier Giorgia Meloni

Move comes in response to Rome imposing similar measures after mass migration rush to Ceuta Spain has announced it will introduce temporary border checks on visitors from Italy in response to Rome imposing similar measures after a mass rush of people from Morocco into Ceuta. The checks, which come “amid the persistent

Spain will introduce temporary border checks on travellers from Italy in response to Rome imposing similar measures.

The measures come after Italy declared it would not yield to ‘ultimatums’ from Spain

Spain announces immediate border controls with Italy in migration spat  CNN

Spain imposes border checks on Italy as migrant showdown grows

Passport, nationality and visa checks would be conducted for passengers arriving from Italy through Sept. 7

Spain will introduce temporary border checks on travellers from Italy in response to Rome imposing similar measures after a mass migrant rush into Ceuta, the interior ministry said on Friday.

Spain called Italy's measures suspending its visa-free Schengen travel deal with Spain following the Ceuta crisis 'unfair, contrary to the EU's interests'.

Spain has threatened to take "proportional measures" if Italy continues border controls on travelers from that country by Sunday.

Madrid warns of 'proportional measures' if Rome does not put an end to checks amid fallout from Ceuta migrant crisis.

Meloni's government says it will continue its temporary suspension of Schengen until at least Aug. 15.

Suspension of Schengen arrangements won't be revised before August 15 says Meloni's office

Spain has threatened to retaliate against Italy after Rome imposed border controls ​on Spanish visitors via air and sea following last week's influx of migrants ​into the ⁠North African ⁠enclave of Ceuta.

Spain and Italy’s feud over migration escalated after Rome bluntly refused to lift new border controls imposed after the sudden influx of 70,000 migrants to a Spanish African enclave.

Ceuta's multi-faith communities will hold a peaceful rally Sunday demanding measures are taken to prevent a new migrant invasion of the city.

Tens of thousands of people have travelled across the Moroccan border into Ceuta, a Spanish enclave on the North African coast.

'Morocco has given me nothing': The young migrants risking everything to reach Ceuta Olivia Hooper on Thu, 08/06/2026 - 09:23 Thousands of Moroccans fleeing economic despair risked their lives to reach Ceuta, only to face forced deportations A boy on the beach at the Morocco-Ceuta border,