Spain's government announced Saturday it is renewing border controls on arrivals from Italy by air and land, as the diplomatic row over the Ceuta migrant crisis deepens. The move expands on earlier restrictions imposed at ports and airports last week.
Spain's government announced early Saturday that it is expanding border controls on arrivals from Italy to include land crossings, deepening the diplomatic rift between the two EU member states. The move extends the restrictions that were formally imposed at ports and airports on Friday, August 7, after Italy refused to lift its own border checks on travelers from Spain.
As The Zioneer reported on Friday, the Spanish Interior Ministry confirmed temporary border controls at ports and airports on travelers from Italy. This followed Italy's earlier reinstatement of checks on travelers from Spain on August 2, and France's order for reinforced border controls with Spain on July 31. The growing tensions had already drawn in 22 EU member states, which issued a letter on August 1 criticizing Spain's immigration policy following the Ceuta migrant crisis.
The addition of land border checks marks a further escalation, effectively tightening the Schengen internal border between Spain and Italy. The measures are expected to remain in place for about a month, consistent with the temporary nature of the earlier restrictions. The crisis began in late July when tens of thousands of migrants crossed from Morocco into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, overwhelming local infrastructure and triggering a broader European diplomatic dispute.
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