End of Seamless Travel: Italy Imposes Border Screening on Non-EU Passengers Arriving from Spain

Italian officials justified the decision by citing the urgent need to prevent an unregulated inflow of undocumented migrants and individuals involved in illicit activities moving from Spanish territory into Central and Southern Europe. Rome emphasized that following the strain on primary registration systems in Ceuta, reintroducing internal Schengen checks serves as a necessary mechanism to protect national security.

From Saturday morning, airport police carried out random checks at Rome Fiumicino, Milan Malpensa and Milan Linate airports. For EU citizens it was enough to show proof of identity, while non-EU nationals had to present, in addition to an identity document, valid residence permits or visas.

Travelers should expect increased processing times, secondary biometric data verification, and potential vehicle inspections at ports.

For citizens travelling from Italy to Spain, by contrast, nothing changes and they remain free to enter the country.

Italy has therefore reintroduced border checks with Spain as an exception to Schengen rules, given that no country can unilaterally suspend another from the free-movement area. The Schengen agreement already allows border controls to be reintroduced "in the event of a serious threat to public order or internal security", a step that Italy has already taken for more than a year at the border with Slovenia for citizens coming from third countries.

Tragedy in Ceuta: Rising Death Toll and Operational Control

By August 1, Spanish authorities reported that they had successfully stabilized the perimeter in Ceuta. Government officials stated that deployed military units, the Civil Guard, and coordinated efforts with Moroccan law enforcement allowed them to "almost entirely reverse" the immediate crisis and restore physical control over the border.

According to official figures released by Spanish emergency services and medical personnel, the tragedy has claimed at least 67 lives due to drownings, crushes, and physical confrontations. This marks one of the deadliest border events in the modern history of the European Union.

While physical order has been largely restored, humanitarian facilities in Ceuta remain severely overcrowded, with local medical infrastructure operating at peak capacity. Land and sea containment lines are re-established, but security forces remain on high alert against potential new rush attempts.

It isn’t clear what triggered the influx, but social media was awash with posts encouraging Moroccans to try to enter Ceuta days before it began, said Myriam Cherti, a senior researcher at the University of Oxford’s Centre on Migration, Policy and Society.

The posts included practical information on how to cross the border and what migrants should say to increase their chances of being allowed to stay.

Previous migrant surges have occurred during tensions between Spain and Morocco, including in 2021 which led more than 10,000 migrants to enter Ceuta in just two days.

Madrid says that almost all of the roughly 50,000 migrants who crossed into Ceuta from Morocco on Thursday have been returned.

Spain announced it was installing a 500-metre-long containment barrier on the sea border between Ceuta and Morocco.

Sánchez’s Diplomatic Revolt: Accusing the EU of a Lack of Solidarity

The humanitarian and security shock in Ceuta triggered a sharp political dispute between Madrid and Brussels. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez dispatched an official letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, expressing strong criticism of the EU's response.

Sánchez openly condemned what he described as an "absolute lack of practical solidarity" from EU partners. The Spanish leader asserted that Spain had been left to face a challenge alone that is inherently European in nature, given that Ceuta's external borders constitute external borders for the entire European Union.

Spain appealed to the European Commission for financial and logistical support, which means the immediate release of aid funds from the EU reserve to cover the costs of processing applications, providing shelter, and identification. Madrid also demanded the full deployment of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) along the borders of Ceuta and Melilla and activation of an automated relocation mechanism to redistribute asylum seekers among other EU member states and relieve pressure on border nations.

22 EU Leaders Call for Emergency Talks Over Ceuta  Crisis

In a joint letter, leaders from 22 of the 27 EU member states have demanded an urgent extraordinary meeting of interior ministers to establish a swift and coordinated response to the influx.

Euronews sources tell  that the initiative, spearheaded by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, reflects growing concern over border integrity across the bloc. Addressing European Council President António Costa, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and the Irish presidency of the Council of the EU, the signatories emphasized that protecting external borders is a collective responsibility.

The letter firmly warned against allowing irregular entries or hybrid tactics to create the impression that illegal access into the EU can lead to legal residence. To contain potential ripple effects, signatories voiced readiness to implement necessary border measures under the Schengen Borders Code, including the temporary reintroduction of internal border controls to prevent secondary movements.

Key proposals outlined in the letter include enhancing the deployment of the EU border agency Frontex along vulnerable border zones; re-evaluating diplomatic cooperation and border enforcement management with Morocco and implementing strict deterrence mechanisms against illegal entry and human-smuggling networks.

Could the EU Suspend or Exclude Spain from Schengen?

Following Italy’s decision to reinstate border checks and Madrid’s public criticism of Brussels, discussions intensified within diplomatic circles regarding the legal and political fallout for Spain. The escalating friction prompted analysts to evaluate a radical question: Could the EU suspend Spain’s participation in the Schengen Area over the Ceuta border crisis?

Under the Schengen Borders Code (specifically Articles 26 and 29), member states are permitted to reintroduce temporary internal border controls in response to  problems in external border management. However, formal exclusion or long-term suspension of a member state remains legally complex and politically unprecedented. Legal and geopolitical experts note that formally excluding Spain remains highly unlikely due  to economic, logistic, transport and other factors.