Italy maintains border checks on Spain travelers after Schengen suspension

Italy is maintaining border checks on travelers arriving from Spain, a week after Rome temporarily suspended the Schengen Agreement with Madrid. The Italian government, led by Giorgia Meloni, cited "national security" concerns related to the migrant crisis in Ceuta as the reason for the measure, which allows for selective checks on non-EU citizens arriving from Spain.

At Rome's Fiumicino Airport, which handles between 55 and 60 flights daily from Spain during the summer season, passengers on an Iberia flight from Madrid reported being asked for documentation by police officers. Airlines like Iberia have informed customers traveling to Italy about the reinstated border controls. The Italian government announced the month-long suspension of the Schengen agreement on July 31, a move that has been applied at Italian ports and airports for the past week without significant reported incidents, apart from some delays.

Different airports are implementing the checks in various ways. Fiumicino officials explained that their approach involves requesting documents upon disembarking, while other airports, like Venice, have grouped flights from Spain in the non-EU arrivals area. The Spanish government has strongly criticized Italy's decision, calling it unprecedented in recent history and unilaterally implemented without prior notice, using "spurious" arguments that allegedly do not align with the Schengen Borders Code or the facts.

Madrid has formally urged Italy to reverse the border controls. Spain has stated that if Italy does not comply, Spain will adopt "proportional" measures starting Sunday to protect the interests and dignity of its citizens. The Spanish government considers the Italian measure to be without precedent and based on unfounded justifications.

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le autorità italiane hanno ristabilito temporaneamente i controlli di frontiera per i passeggeri che arrivano in Italia su voli provenienti dalla Spagna