Migrant children queue outside a police station to be registered following mass crossings by migrants on foot and by sea from Morocco into Spanish territory, in Ceuta, Spain, 6 August 2026;
Credit: Reuters/Violeta Santos Moura
MADRID/ROME (Reuters) - On Friday 7 August 2026, Spain's government said it would establish border controls for flights and ships from Italy from midnight on Saturday 8 August until Monday 7 September 2026 in a dispute with the neighbouring country over irregular migration.
Passport, nationality and visa checks would be conducted for Italian passengers and visitors from other countries arriving from Italy "amid the persistent irregular migratory pressure" from the country.
Spain said the measures would remain in place while Italy maintained its own restrictions, which Madrid said were prompted by the mass arrival of 72,000 migrants in Spain's African enclave of Ceuta on Thursday 30 July 2026.
Earlier on Friday, Italy said it would not bow to "ultimatums or impositions" from Spain and would maintain border controls on arrivals from the country until at least Saturday 15 August 2026.
Spain threatened earlier on Friday to impose reciprocal measures on travellers from Italy unless Rome lifted by Sunday the border controls it imposed last week, following a mass influx of migrants from Morocco into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta.
In a statement, the Italian government said it would only reconsider its decision once it was certain there were no security or terrorism risks, no new migration wave and no irregular migrants heading towards European territory.
