Spain gives Italy August 9 deadline to end border checks

Spain has issued an ultimatum to Italy, demanding the end of temporary border controls by August 9. Failure to comply will result in "proportionate" countermeasures from Madrid, the Spanish government announced Friday.

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Should the controls not be ended by then, Madrid will take "proportionate" countermeasures.

Last week, Italy temporarily suspended Schengen rules for Spain, implementing selective checks on air and ferry passengers. This move followed the arrival of thousands of migrants in Ceuta, a Spanish enclave in North Africa. The Italian measures are set to last for one month.

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unjust, contrary to the interests of the European Union, and discriminatory towards the Spanish population.

Madrid sharply criticized Italy's actions, labeling them "unjust, contrary to the interests of the European Union, and discriminatory towards the Spanish population." Spain asserts that Rome introduced the controls unilaterally, without prior consultation and without sufficient legal grounds. The Spanish government believes the measures do not align with the Schengen Borders Code or the current reality, noting that most migrants have already returned to Morocco and that entry into Ceuta does not automatically grant access to the Schengen area.

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not directed against Spain or any other partner. It is a precautionary and organizational measure for national security and the integrity of the European control system in a phase of exceptional strain.

During an extraordinary EU interior ministers' video conference, Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi defended the decision. He stated that the temporary reintroduction of controls on air and sea borders with Spain was not directed against any partner but was a precautionary and organizational measure for national security amid exceptional strain. He also expressed solidarity with the Spanish government regarding the Ceuta crisis.

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solidarity with the Spanish government regarding the Ceuta crisis.