Italy announces checks for travelers from Spain after Ceuta crisis

Rome – 31 July 2026: In response to the recent migration crisis in Ceuta, Italy has announced additional checks for travelers from Spain. Following a later clarification, the checks will primarily apply to non-EU citizens entering via airports and seaports. Rome justified the move with security concerns after numerous people from Morocco reached the Spanish exclave on the North African coast.

The Italian government had initially spoken of a temporary suspension of the Schengen regime with regard to Spain. This caused confusion: an individual member state cannot exclude another country from the Schengen Area. However, Italy may introduce temporary checks at its own borders under certain conditions. Spain’s membership in the Schengen Area is not affected.

According to Spanish media reports, the checks are to be carried out on a random basis and focus on people without freedom-of-movement rights as EU citizens. No general entry ban is planned for Spanish nationals and other EU citizens. Regular air and ferry services between the two countries will also remain possible in principle, although travelers should expect additional checks.

The trigger is the situation in Ceuta, where many people from Morocco crossed the border into the Spanish exclave in recent days. Madrid considers the influx a serious strain on the EU’s external border. According to Spanish authorities, a large proportion of those who arrived have since returned to Morocco. The exact number of people affected and the legal status of individual persons were still being reviewed by the authorities.

Spain’s Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares rejected the Italian account and stressed that the integrity of the Schengen Area was guaranteed. Madrid had already summoned the Italian ambassador on 30 July after representatives of Giorgia Meloni’s government called for more extensive measures against Spain. The matter is straining relations between two EU states whose governments pursue differing interests in migration policy.

The Schengen Borders Code permits the temporary reintroduction of checks only in the event of a serious threat to public policy or internal security. Such measures must be necessary, proportionate and time-limited; the European Commission must also be informed. The official EU overview did not list any Italian checks specifically notified for connections from Spain as of 31 July.

Ceuta constitutionally belongs to Spain, is located on the African continent and directly borders Morocco. Italy’s announcement changes neither Spain’s Schengen status nor the freedom-of-movement rights of EU citizens.