As tensions between the two EU nations worsen, Spain will tighten border restrictions on all air and maritime traffic from Italy.
The limitations, which will take effect at midnight (22:00 GMT) and remain for a month. They are a week after Italy imposed such limits in response to an inflow of over 78,000 Moroccan migrants into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta.
Spain asked on Friday that Italy return its checks by Sunday. Rome said that they would remain until at least August 15, when Spain “expects a new wave of migration” to arrive in Ceuta.travel by water from Italy as tensions between the two EU nations grow.
Spain Introduces Border Checks on Arrivals From Italy
Spain and Italy do not have a land boundary. Last week, the country’s administration said that it had decided to temporarily halt the borderless Schengen agreement in order to stop any migrants who had entered Ceuta from continuing on to Italy.
Madrid rejected this stance, claiming it was founded on “spurious arguments” that had no real foundation because the migrants who reached Ceuta were unable to enter the Schengen region.
The Italian government declared earlier on Friday that it would not tolerate “ultimatums” in response to the Spanish threat. It said that it did not plan “under any circumstances to reconsider the decision to suspend the application of the Schengen Agreement for third-country nationals arriving from Spain”.
local authorities conducting inspections do “everything possible” to guaranty the highest level of comfort for Spanish and other European nationals traveling from Spain to Italy.
Moreover, Rome has reaffirmed that only non-EU nationals are subject to additional inspections upon arrival in Italy; Spanish citizens are not.
However, according to El Pais, there have been lengthy lines and wait periods at a number of airport terminals recently, with travelers arriving from Spain being sent to a particular line for inspection.
According to a statement from Spain’s government, the countermeasures Madrid decided to implement on Friday would include passport, nationality, and visa checks for Italian travelers and foreign visitors arriving from Italy “amid the persistent irregular migratory pressure” the nation was facing.
What Is Happening at Airports?
It is not unusual for the Schengen accord to be temporarily suspended. Additionally, Italy keeps its border with Slovenia under supervision.
Finland and Denmark supported Italy’s move to temporarily suspend Schengen, while the Czech Republic demanded a temporary suspension of Spain’s membership.
The majority of the migrants who came to Ceuta last week were sent back in a matter of days.
Some “very young boys and girls” are among the over 1,400 kids who are still there.
An expected second wave of crossings from Morocco has not been confirmed by Spain. According to El Pais, social media activity by Moroccan users preparing a second attempt has fueled reports.
The publication was informed by the Spanish prime minister’s office that while they were keeping an eye on the situation, they did not anticipate a recurrence of last week’s events.
Why Did So Many Migrants Try to Enter Ceuta?
Although the precise cause of the tens of thousands of migrants’ attempts to enter Ceuta is still unknown. The Spanish government has agreed with EU Migration Commissioner Magnus Brunner’s suggestion that criminal networks disseminating false information were to blame.
Following a ruling by Spain’s Supreme Court that migrants halted at sea while attempting to reach Ceuta or Melilla cannot be summarily returned to Morocco, the crossings took place.
According to an anonymous government official who briefed local media, “the deterrent element of the system collapsed and the dam gave way, not under the weight of the criminals, but of a judge’s decision.” Morocco has blamed the court for the problem.
Morocco has been questioned about why so many individuals are swimming to Ceuta at once.
