Spain imposes border checks on Italian travellers

Spain on Saturday started border checks on travellers arriving from Italy, responding to similar measures Rome imposed following an unprecedented migrant rush into the Spanish north African enclave of Ceuta. The Spanish government said the controls will remain in place for at least one month. The dispute follows a surge of tens of thousands of migrants into Spain’s North African territory of Ceuta from Morocco last month. More than 80 migrants died, including several who drowned or were killed in a stampede while attempting to cross a breakwater barrier. 
Spain announced Friday it would proceed with the heightened controls, citing "persistent irregular migration pressure" facing Italy – deepening a row between the EU partners and NATO allies. The Spanish government said Italy had unilaterally reintroduced border checks on travelers arriving from Spain on Aug. 1 without prior notification, describing the measures as "unjustified, discriminatory and contrary to the interests of the European Union (EU)."
Earlier, Italy had temporarily suspended open-border travel with Spain. The decision affects flights and maritime transport between the two countries and temporarily halts Spain’s participation in Italy’s implementation of the Schengen border-free travel arrangements. Rome said it "does not accept ultimatums or external pressure" on matters concerning national security and border management. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced the border control measures on July 31 following a massive influx of migrants into Ceuta. About 80,000 people entered the Spanish enclave at the end of July, nearly 75,000 of whom subsequently returned voluntarily. Italy has said it has no intention of suspending border checks on travelers from Spain, and rebuffed Madrid’s threats to retaliate if Rome maintains the measures it instituted after the mass arrival of migrants in the Spanish exclave of Ceuta last week.
More than 70,000 migrants had crossed from Morocco into the Ceuta enclave on July 30 and 31, though almost all of them subsequently returned to Morocco within 48 hours. The inflow alarmed European nations, especially right-wing ones urging tougher rules on irregular migrants. However, rules for Ceuta mean migrants cannot travel onward to continental Europe without passing another layer of border checks