Spain imposes border checks on Italy arrivals amid Ceuta migration dispute

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10 days · 11 summary articles
Spain began temporary border checks on travelers arriving from Italy at midnight on Saturday, escalating a dispute over irregular migration after Italy imposed similar controls following a surge of migrants into Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta.
The measures, announced by the Spanish government, apply to air and sea arrivals until Sept. 7, with authorities verifying identity, nationality and travel documents. On the first day, Spain’s Policía Nacional checked 199 third-country nationals arriving on 12 flights from Italy, including 83 in Madrid, 67 in Barcelona, 33 in Valencia, 11 in Seville and five in Bilbao, according to the Official State Gazette BOE.
The row stems from Italy’s decision to introduce border controls after more than 70,000 migrants crossed into Ceuta from Morocco on July 30–31, most of whom were later returned. Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska and his Italian counterpart, Matteo Piantedosi, assured EU Migration Commissioner Magnus Brunner that the mutual controls would be temporary .
Moroccan authorities have reinforced security at the borders with Ceuta and Melilla amid social media calls for another mass crossing attempt on Aug. 15. Spanish intelligence considers the online mobilization credible, with messages circulating on Facebook, WhatsApp and TikTok urging migrants to bypass the Tarajal breakwater by sea. Authorities in Ceuta, home to 85,000 residents, reported 141 deaths during the late July surge, with most returnees sent back to Morocco .
The crisis has strained EU solidarity, with 22 member states signing a letter initiated by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen calling for a coordinated response to external migration pressure. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s government has accused Italy of allowing persistent irregular migration, while Italy’s controls were framed as a precautionary measure .
In Ceuta, 1,200 unaccompanied minors remain stranded, and seven judicial expulsions of migrants with criminal records were executed on Saturday .
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced the resumption of deportations to Italy for asylum seekers who entered the EU via Italy, reversing a 2022 suspension .
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