MADRID: Spain said on Friday it would establish border controls for flights and ships from Italy from midnight on Saturday until Sept 7 in a dispute with the neighbouring country over irregular migration.

Passport, nationality and visa checks would be conducted for Italian passengers and visitors from other countries arriving from Italy “amid the persistent irregular migratory pressure” from the Alpine country, a statement said.

Italy swiftly responded, saying it would not accept “ultimatums or impositions” from Madrid, adding that it would keep in place its suspension of Schengen rules for non-EU nationals arriving from Spain until Aug 15.

According to the statement from Madrid, the measures would apply while Rome applied its own measures after the mass migration rush by 72,000 people on Spain’s African enclave of Ceuta on July 30.

The Spanish government said Italy’s decision to reintroduce controls on arrivals from Spain was “unjustified, contrary to the interests of the European Union and discriminatory against the Spanish population”.

It promised to adopt “proportionate measures” against Italy unless it rolled back the new constraints by Sunday.

However, in a toughly worded statement, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s office said Spanish authorities had themselves warned of a new migrant influx into Ceuta on Aug 15. It said it would only reconsider its decision once it was certain there was no new migration wave, no security or terrorism risk to Italy and no irregular migrants heading towards European territory.

Spain’s Civil Guard has said it is aware of calls online for a fresh border crossing attempt at Ceuta on Aug 15.

Published in Dawn, August 8th, 2026