The government of Italy on Friday imposed stringent border checks, suspending Schengen with Spain, in response to an influx of tens of thousands of migrants in the Spanish North African enclave of Ceuta. The move is expected to impact flights and maritime transport.

It suspends Spain’s Schengen border-free rights, an agreement that allows citizens of European member states to move freely among 29 countries. The move came a day after Italian Prime Minister
Giorgia Meloni warned that it would do the same. In a statement on Friday, the Italian Interior Minister, Matteo Piantedosi, said that air and sea border controls will remain in place for August.

STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD

Meloni, who had promised to cut down illegal immigration, released a separate statement, lauding the move. She called the decision an “extraordinary measure” that was taken to safeguard the country’s national security. “The measure will be kept in force only for the time necessary, with particular attention to limiting any impact on summer tourist flows,” the Italian premier wrote in a post on X.

Il Governo ha deciso di sospendere temporaneamente il regime di libera circolazione previsto da Schengen nei collegamenti marittimi e aerei con la Spagna, reintroducendo i controlli di frontiera.

Si tratta di una misura straordinaria, adottata per tutelare la sicurezza nazionale… pic.twitter.com/bpszoG8soX

— Giorgia Meloni (@GiorgiaMeloni) July 31, 2026

“In parallel, Italy is ready to support every European initiative to assist Spanish institutions as needed to restore full control of the Union’s external borders and to address the ongoing situation with determination,” the prime minister continued. “Defending borders means defending the safety of citizens, combating irregular immigration, and striking at the criminal networks that traffic human beings.”

STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS ADSpain sees influx of illegal immigrants

Tens of
thousands of migrants crossed into the North African peninsula this week from Morocco. This happened after the Spanish Supreme Court ruled that migrants stopped at sea during their attempt to reach Ceuta or another Spanish enclave, Melilla, cannot be returned to Morocco.

On Friday, the Spanish officials said that more than 48,000 people had voluntarily returned to Morocco since then. Amid the chaos, European Commission President
Ursula von der Leyen called the situation in Ceuta “unacceptable” on Friday and said she appointed two commissioners to oversee the response to the crisis.

The images coming from Ceuta are unacceptable.

We cannot allow anyone to come to our Union without abiding by our rules.

Dangerous crossings must stop immediately. Smuggling networks must be dismantled. And returns must be swift, as our rules allow.

I tasked two Commissioners…

— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) July 31, 2026

“We cannot allow anyone to come to our Union without abiding by our rules,” she wrote on social media. “Dangerous crossings must stop immediately. Smuggling networks must be dismantled. And returns must be swift, as our rules allow.” Soon after the post, Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs José Manuel Albares said that Magnus Brunner, the EU commissioner, has been tasked with overseeing the response in Spain.

STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD

The Spanish foreign minister informed Albares on Friday that “practically all” of the migrants who entered Ceuta “have returned.” “Not a single person has crossed to mainland EU,” Brunner wrote on social media. “We will remain in close contact and are in touch with ministers across Europe.”  In a separate post, Albares assured that the Schengen Area’s security is “absolutely guaranteed.” “Enough of this deliberate confusion,” he added.

Meanwhile, Spain’s Prime Minister
Pedro Sánchez also emphasised the country’s control over the situation and slammed Italy’s temporary revocation of its Schengen rights. “Solidarity and empathy are optional,” Sánchez wrote on X. “Respect for European treaties and data is not. … This is not the time to divide. It is the time to continue building a strong and united EU,” he added.