Spain Threatens Italy: Lift Border Controls by Sunday
Madrid claims Rome's measures are unfair and discriminatory, threatening proportionate countermeasures, while both sides cite migration data.
Madrid claims Rome's measures are unfair and discriminatory, threatening proportionate countermeasures, while both sides cite migration data.
The Spanish government of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez issued an ultimatum to Italy on Friday: if Italy does not lift the temporary border controls for travelers from Spain by Sunday, August 9, 2026, Madrid will take "proportionate measures." This warning was published in an official statement by the Spanish government and represents a significant escalation of the diplomatic dispute within the European Union over migration management and the Schengen area.
On August 1, 2026, Italy temporarily reintroduced border controls for travelers arriving from Spain, justifying the decision by the mass arrival of migrants in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta in northern Morocco. The checks mainly affect air and sea traffic between the two Mediterranean EU member states.
Madrid strongly rejects Rome's justification. In a statement dated August 7, it is stated that the Italian decision "is based on unfounded arguments that are not in line with the Schengen Borders Code or with the facts." The Spanish government emphasizes that no migrant who illegally entered Ceuta last week was allowed to move freely within the Schengen area, as this autonomous city has a special status, and the vast majority of migrants have already returned to Morocco.
In its statement, the Spanish government described the Italian border controls as "unfair, contrary to the interests of the European Union, and discriminatory towards Spanish citizens." According to Madrid, Rome introduced the measures "without prior notice, unilaterally, and with false arguments that are not in line with the Schengen Borders Code or with the truth," as reported by the Italian news agency ANSA.
The statement also accuses Italy of "not complying with the Dublin Regulation since 2022," which, according to Madrid, increases migratory pressure on other European countries. Spain also cited data from Frontex, according to which Italy has recorded the highest number of illegal crossings of the EU's external borders in recent years, and in certain periods, the number was double that of Spain.
Madrid emphasizes that despite these figures, it has never responded by introducing border controls against Italy. They also recalled their own gestures of solidarity, including accepting some of the migrants who arrived on the Italian island of Lampedusa in 2023, as well as repeatedly opening their ports to people rescued on the central Mediterranean migration route.
The Spanish government expressed its expectation that "commitment to the European project, common sense, and good faith" will ultimately prevail, while accusing the Italian government of fostering "divisions and senseless conflicts motivated by domestic electoral interests."
The deadline set by Madrid expires on Sunday, August 9. Although the Spanish government has threatened "proportionate measures," it has not yet specified what steps might be taken. The Italian government has not yet publicly responded to the ultimatum. This conflict between two major EU member states could have consequences for the freedom of movement within the Schengen area, an issue that directly affects Croatian citizens as well.
