World · Europe · 2 hrs ago
Italy and Spain will end temporary Schengen border controls
Italy and Spain will not extend temporary border controls that had limited free movement between the two countries.
The decision followed a phone call between their interior ministers, after Italy’s Giorgia Meloni and Spain’s Pedro Sánchez met on the sidelines of a European Council meeting.
The checks began in August after thousands of migrants arrived in Ceuta, a Spanish city in North Africa.
Italy introduced checks on air and sea travellers from Spain who were citizens of countries outside the EU, and Spain responded with similar checks on arrivals from Italy.
The measures were extended twice, but both governments now consider the risk to have passed.
Italy says it identified 180,000 people arriving from Spain in August, and turned away 31; none of those turned away had arrived in Ceuta.
The countries will strengthen information-sharing as the temporary checks end and free movement resumes.
Italy and Spain agreed not to extend temporary reciprocal border checks on air and sea routes between the two countries.
The controls were introduced after a surge of migrants entered the Spanish city of Ceuta from Morocco.
The countries said the decision followed an analysis of the situation and would be accompanied by stronger information sharing to protect the Schengen area.
The agreement followed a phone call between the countries’ interior ministers, after a meeting between their prime ministers on the sidelines of the European Council.
- Who
- Italy and Spain, through Interior Ministers Matteo Piantedosi and Fernando Grande-Marlaska.
- What
- They agreed not to extend reciprocal border controls on air and sea routes.
- When
- The agreement was reported on 22 October 2026. The controls had been introduced in August.
- Where
- On flights and maritime connections between Italy and Spain.
- Why
- The governments said the decision followed an analysis of the situation; the controls had been introduced after the migration crisis in Ceuta.
Italian government
Spanish government
Reason for controls
Italian government
Italy introduced checks over concerns that migrants from Ceuta could reach Italy.
Spanish government
Spain considered that risk unfounded, arguing Ceuta is not formally part of the European Union.
Response
Italian government
Italy introduced controls on air and sea arrivals from Spain from non-EU countries.
Spanish government
Spain adopted a reciprocal measure for people arriving from Italy.
Italy introduced checks on air and sea arrivals from Spain after the sudden arrival of migrants in Ceuta.
Spain adopted a reciprocal measure, and the controls were later extended twice.
Spain’s and Italy’s prime ministers met on the sidelines of the European Council, followed by a scheduled phone call between their interior ministers.
The interior ministers agreed that the Schengen suspensions would not be extended.
- Countries
- Italy and Spain
- Measures ending
- Reciprocal checks on air and sea routes
- Introduced
- August, after the Ceuta migration crisis
- Interior ministers
- Matteo Piantedosi and Fernando Grande-Marlaska
- Ceuta arrivals
- More than 80,000 migrants from Morocco, according to La Vanguardia
4 sources
What people are saying
tras un minucioso análisis de la situación
irá acompañada de un refuerzo del intercambio de información para garantizar la plena seguridad del espacio común de Schengen