Italy defies Spanish demand to lift border curbs over Ceuta crisis

Spain threatened to impose border restrictions on travelers from Italy unless Rome lifts its recently introduced border controls by Sunday. The measures were put in place by Italy last week following a large influx of migrants into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta.

Italy's government swiftly rejected Spain's demand, stating it would not accept "ultimatums or impositions." Rome also confirmed it would keep its suspension of Schengen rules for non-EU nationals arriving from Spain in place until at least August 15. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's government had initially planned to maintain these checks until the end of the month.

The Spanish government criticized Italy's decision as "unjustified, contrary to the interests of the European Union and discriminatory." Spain warned it would adopt "proportionate measures" if Italy did not roll back the new constraints by Sunday.

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Italy will not accept ultimatums or impositions

However, Meloni's office responded firmly, noting that Spanish authorities had warned of a new migrant influx into Ceuta on August 15. Italy stated it would only reconsider its decision once it was certain there was no new migration wave, no security or terrorism risk, and no irregular migrants heading toward European territory. Spain's Civil Guard is aware of online calls for a fresh border crossing attempt at Ceuta on August 15, though the number of participants remains unclear.

This dispute underscores a significant policy divergence between the two EU allies. Meloni champions tighter immigration controls, while Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez generally favors a more liberal approach, recently supporting a large-scale regularization program for undocumented migrants.

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unjustified, contrary to the interests of the European Union and discriminatory against the Spanish population