SPAIN and Italy have agreed to end temporary border checks on travellers between the two countries following a diplomatic row sparked by the summer’s migrant crisis in Ceuta.
Prime minister Pedro Sanchez and his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni reached an agreement to lift the restrictions during talks in Brussels on Thursday, according to Italian media reports.
The temporary checks meant passengers travelling between Spain and Italy could face identity and document checks at airports and ports, rather than relying on the usual border-free arrangements.
Controls will remain in place for another week, with Italy extending its restrictions by a further seven days to align their expiry with Spain’s.
Both countries’ interior ministers are expected to work towards removing the checks over the coming week, sources told El Pais.
The dispute began on July 31, when Rome introduced checks on travellers arriving from Spain, citing security concerns following the mass arrival of migrants in Ceuta from neighbouring Morocco.
Spain responded by imposing its own checks on travellers arriving from Italy, accusing the Italian government of taking an unjustifiably harsh approach towards Spanish citizens.
The measures marked a temporary departure from the Schengen area’s principle of passport-free travel between participating European countries, although member states can reintroduce internal border checks in exceptional circumstances.
Italy has repeatedly extended its restrictions since introducing them in late July, arguing that security risks remain high and warning of possible terrorist infiltration.
The move prompted strong criticism from Madrid, with Spanish foreign minister Jose Manuel Albares describing the Italian decision as ‘absurd’, ‘useless’ and a ‘disgrace’.
The crisis in Ceuta unfolded on July 30 and 31, when more than 70,000 people crossed from Morocco into the Spanish North African enclave, triggering a major humanitarian emergency.
The influx also became a flashpoint in European politics, with Meloni’s government criticising Spain’s approach to migration.
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