British News Agency

According to CCTV, Spain has decided to introduce temporary internal border controls for travelers arriving from Italy in response to Italy’s continued border checks on passengers coming from Spain following the migration crisis in the autonomous region of Ceuta in North Africa.

According to a statement by the Spanish government, the checks at ports and airports will begin on August 9 and, unless circumstances change, will remain in place until September 7. Random identity and document checks will be carried out as part of the measure.

The Madrid government said Italy unilaterally introduced border controls on travelers arriving from Spain on August 1 without prior notification, describing the measure as “unjustified, discriminatory and contrary to the interests of the European Union.” Spain called on the Rome government to immediately lift the controls.

Italy, however, announced that the border controls would remain in place on grounds of national security and border management. Rome said it “does not accept ultimatums or external pressure” on these matters. Italian authorities stated that the controls do not apply to Spanish or other EU citizens traveling by air or sea and that efforts would be made to minimize disruptions to legitimate travel.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni had announced the border control measures on July 31 following the large-scale migration movement in Ceuta.

According to statements from the Spanish side, around 80,000 people entered Ceuta at the end of July, approximately 75,000 of whom later returned voluntarily.

Ceuta President Juan Jesús Vivas said that between 3,000 and 5,000 migrants remain in the region and that reception centers are being pushed to their capacity, drawing attention to the serious humanitarian pressure created by the situation.

The developments have created a new source of tension among EU member states over border controls and migration policies in the Schengen Area.