The Italian government instituted border checks on non-EU nationals arriving from Spain following the Ceuta crisis, but the Spanish government has responded by introducing border checks on all Italian passengers arriving in Spain until the end of August.
The tit-for-tat border dispute began after the Italian government raised the alarm over the border incident in Ceuta last month. Italy followed the incident by calling an extraordinary meeting of the European Council and then introducing border checks.
The controls are unusual given the Schengen Agreement, which allows for free and unobstructed travel within European borders. However, Spain is going even one step further than Italy by instituting checks on all arrivals from Italy including potentially EU passport holders.
In a statement, the Spanish government reiterated that most of those who crossed the border into Ceuta have been returned and that Ceuta is not part of the Schengen regime. You can read the full statement here. The Italian Consulate of Madrid still states that EU-passport holders can freely travel to Italy as part of the Schengen area. A statement by the office of the Prime Minister of Italy can be read here.
Newsroom
Leave a Reply