Italy rejects Spanish ultimatum, maintains Schengen border controls until August 15

Spain escalates diplomatic standoff

Spain's government issued an ultimatum on Friday, August 7, demanding Italy lift border controls on travelers from Spain by Sunday, August 9, or face "proportional measures." The controls were reintroduced on August 1 by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's government following a mass irregular entry of migrants into Ceuta from Morocco around July 30. According to figures from the Spanish Interior Ministry presented by Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska, approximately 72,000 people entered Ceuta irregularly, of which about 70,000 have already been returned to Morocco.

Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares, speaking upon arrival in Colombia for the inauguration of new president Abelardo de la Espriella, called the Italian measure "unjustified" and said it attacks "the dignity of Spaniards." He noted that the situation in Ceuta is "broadly channeled" and that none of the migrants who entered irregularly reached the Spanish mainland or the Schengen area, given Ceuta's special status within the agreement.

This measure goes, in the first place, against the dignity of Spaniards, but, in the second place, it is a torpedo in the waterline of European unity.

Italy rejects ultimatum

The Italian government responded the same afternoon with a statement from Palazzo Chigi declaring that "Italy does not accept ultimatums or impositions from abroad on matters of national security and border control." Italy confirmed it will maintain the partial suspension of Schengen at least until August 15, citing expected new migrant arrivals on that date and terrorism risks.

Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi, speaking at a Fratelli d'Italia event in Sorrento, said that "it is difficult to sustain that those risk conditions do not exist at this moment," referencing European treaties that allow exceptional measures when national security is at stake. He added that Spanish intelligence services had warned that calls for a new mass entry into Ceuta on August 15 are "well founded."

We adopted this measure with the sole objective of protecting national security: we will do so in a limited way. Once we have certainty that the danger has passed, we will be pleased, first of all for Spain, then for Europe, and finally, also for Italy.

Spain's counterarguments

The Spanish government, in a communiqué issued at midday on Friday, called Italy's move without precedent in recent history, adopted "without prior notice, unilaterally, and with spurious arguments that conform neither to the Schengen Borders Code nor to the truth." Spain emphasized that Ceuta has a special regime within Schengen, meaning irregular entrants cannot freely access the Schengen area.

Spain also pointed out that, according to Frontex, Italy is the EU member state with the most irregular crossings in recent years, "with figures that have reached double those of Spain," and that Rome has not complied with the Dublin Regulation since 2022, "generating an additional burden of migratory pressure on other member states." Spain noted it has never imposed controls on Italy and has shown solidarity, including taking in migrants who arrived in Lampedusa in 2023.

What happens next

Italy has indicated it will evaluate whether conditions allow lifting the suspension after August 15. The Italian government stressed that its decision "does not undermine the relationship with a friendly country like Spain" and said it remains willing to continue constructive dialogue. Meanwhile, Italian border authorities will ensure maximum accessibility for Spanish and European citizens, who are not affected by the reintroduction of controls at air and sea borders, according to the Italian statement. More than 11 million people traveled from Italy to Spain by air last year, according to Aena data.