Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has given Italy until the end of August 9 to lift the border controls imposed after the mass migrant crossing into Ceuta, warning that his Government will otherwise adopt proportional measures to protect the interests and dignity of Spanish citizens.
Government sources in Madrid said Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni should reverse her position, end the checks and treat Spaniards as she treats other European citizens.
Sánchez’s Government said the controls, in force since August 1, had disrupted the movement of thousands of passengers and created legal uncertainty at the height of the holiday season. It called the step unprecedented in recent history and said it had been taken unilaterally, without warning and on grounds that matched neither the Schengen Borders Code nor the facts.
Italy has not removed Spain from the Schengen area and has no power to do so. Rome reintroduced temporary checks at its own air and sea entry points, notifying the European Commission on August 3 and setting August 31 as the end date, with the option of renewal.
Italian interior minister Matteo Piantedosi told EU counterparts on August 4 that the measure was not directed against Spain or any other partner. His ministry has described the checks as targeted and selective, applying to third-country nationals rather than to EU citizens.
Meloni, who first raised the prospect on July 30, called it an extraordinary measure that would run only as long as necessary.
Madrid argues that none of those who entered Ceuta irregularly could move on into the passport-free area because the autonomous city lies outside it. Home affairs commissioner Magnus Brunner has made the same point, writing that “Not a single person has crossed to mainland EU”.
Sánchez’s Government said practically all of those who crossed had returned to Morocco. Estimates on August 4 put the number remaining in Ceuta at between 3,000 and 5,000, including 862 minors who are shielded from deportation.
Madrid cited Frontex data showing Italy had recorded more irregular crossings than Spain in recent years and accused Rome of ignoring the Dublin Regulation since 2022. Frontex figures for the first half of 2026 show irregular entries into Italy down 52 per cent at 14,340, while the western Mediterranean route rose 17 per cent to 7,860.
Twenty-two member states signed a letter on August 1 warning that the European Union could not allow uncontrolled mass crossings or the instrumentalisation of migration. It was drawn up on the initiative of Italy and Denmark and France, Portugal and Luxembourg declined to sign.
His Government said it trusted Europeanism and good faith would prevail. Governments existed to build understanding, it added, not sterile conflicts driven by domestic electoral calculation.
