Italy reinstates border checks with Spain over migrant surge

Italy introduced border checks on flights and sea routes from Spain on 1 August 2026. The controls lasted one month. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and her two deputy prime ministers announced the decision together.

The checks did not affect EU citizens. They targeted non-EU travellers who might have entered Europe through Ceuta, a small Spanish territory in North Africa. Italy said it was worried about irregular migrants moving further into Europe.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez criticised the move. He pointed to data showing Italy had actually recorded more irregular arrivals than Spain in recent years. Spain also reported that over 48,000 migrants who reached Ceuta had already gone back to Morocco voluntarily.