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Anyone travelling between Spain and Italy over the next couple of weeks may notice something that normally isn’t part of the journey: passport checks at the airport or port.

 

Italy has decided to extend temporary border controls on passengers arriving from Spain for another 15 days, meaning the checks will now remain in place until September 15. Spain has responded by extending its own equivalent controls on people travelling from Italy.

 

The measures are unusual because both countries are part of the Schengen area, where travellers can normally move between participating countries without going through routine passport control at internal borders.

 

This doesn’t mean Spain or Italy has left Schengen, nor does it mean flights between the two countries are being stopped. It simply means that, temporarily, travellers can be asked to show their passports or other travel documents when crossing the border.

 

Italy first introduced the checks on August 1 following the migration crisis in Ceuta at the end of July, when between 70,000 and 80,000 migrants reportedly arrived from Morocco. The Italian government argued that the situation created concerns over national security and justified bringing back temporary controls.

 

Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi has now told the European Union that the reasons behind the original decision remain valid, saying that the "assessments that served as the basis" for the measure are still in place.

 

The decision has clearly frustrated the Spanish government, however, with President Pedro Sánchez publicly questioning why Italy is continuing with the controls.

 

Mr Sánchez said he believed the measures made "no sense" and were not based on "any argument", pointing out that the Schengen internal border arrangements don't apply in the same way to Ceuta and Melilla as they do on Spain's mainland.

 

The President of the Spanish government also appealed for greater European solidarity over migration, saying that "Europe was born to be in solidarity, and it must be in solidarity in Lampedusa, in Greenland, and in Ceuta."

 

President Sánchez pointed out that Spain had previously welcomed migrants who had arrived irregularly on the Italian island of Lampedusa, arguing that the responsibility for dealing with migration should be shared across Europe.

 

Despite the disagreement, Mr Piantedosi has said he hopes this latest extension will be "the last", while also praising what he described as the "commendable efforts" made by the Spanish government to deal with the situation in Ceuta.

 

For people living in Spain and travelling to Italy, the practical effect is fairly limited, but it’s worth being prepared for checks. Passengers should make sure they have their valid passport or other appropriate travel document with them, even though they would normally be able to travel between the two countries without facing routine internal border controls.

 

The Spanish Interior Ministry said its own checks, introduced on August 8, have so far involved 1,066 flights, 12,337 third-country nationals and 1,788 officials.

 

 

 

Image: Archive