Spain has imposed border controls on all air and sea routes from Italy in response to Italian measures, escalating tensions within the European Union over migration policies. The restrictions, which began at midnight local time and will last for a month, were introduced just days after Italy implemented similar limitations following a surge of approximately 78,000 migrants from Morocco into Spain’s enclave of Ceuta. Spanish officials stated that documents of five to 10 percent of travelers are checked before they are allowed to disembark from flights. Italy, meanwhile, claimed its border checks are random. The crisis has intensified the rivalry between Spain’s socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and Italy’s conservative Premier Giorgia Meloni, who has long advocated stricter EU rules on immigration. Although Italy does not share a land border with Spain, its government suspended the Schengen Agreement earlier this week under the pretext of preventing migrants from Ceuta from continuing their journey toward Italy. Madrid rejected this justification, calling it “unsubstantiated arguments” lacking factual basis, as migrants entering Ceuta legally cannot enter the Schengen area. Spain requested that Italy lift the controls by Sunday, but Rome refused, stating the measures would remain in place at least until August 15, when it expects another wave of migrants to arrive in Ceuta. Both countries officially claim the checks are random, yet reports from the ground tell a different story. Italian media have described massive crowds and long lines at airports as travelers from Spain are directed to special lanes. In Madrid, despite official insistence on randomness, passengers arriving on Saturday confirmed to national television RTVE that police inspected all travelers before disembarking. Notably, Finland and Denmark immediately supported Italy’s suspension of Schengen, while the Czech Republic took a further step, requesting temporary suspension of Spain’s membership in the Schengen area. Meanwhile, concerns over a new migrant influx have grown. While most migrants who arrived in Ceuta last week were returned to Morocco within days, it is believed around 100 people died during the dangerous crossing. Approximately 1,400 minors still remain in the enclave. Although the Spanish government does not foresee another critical scenario, a BBC investigation in Arabic revealed dozens of Facebook groups with over 100,000 followers actively organizing mass crossings mid-August. European Migration Commissioner Magnus Brunner and the Spanish government agree that behind this potential mass exodus lie criminal networks spreading misinformation. The entire crisis escalated after the ruling of Spain’s Supreme Court, which decided that migrants intercepted at sea heading towards Ceuta or Melilla should not automatically be returned to Morocco. Official Rabat blamed the collapse of the system on this court decision, while Spanish controls toward Italy remain in effect until September 7. Meanwhile, two female leaders of EU member states, Giorgia Meloni of Italy and Mette Frederiksen of Denmark, have called for stricter control over illegal immigration, advocating for the establishment of so-called migrant centers outside the EU to repatriate rejected asylum seekers back to their home countries. They emphasized that uncontrolled immigration negatively affects societies, increasing crime rates, pressure on public services, and eroding public trust. They highlighted the seriousness of crimes committed by undocumented migrants, including violence, drug trafficking, and sexual abuse. Despite coming from different political spectrums, Meloni leading the far-right League party, while Frederiksen is a social democrat, they both stress their shared goal of protecting Europe. However, the issue of deportation centers outside the EU remains highly controversial within the bloc.
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