Spain and Italy will not extend the controls on flights and sea links, which Italy introduced in August and Spain matched for passengers from Italy.
Fernando Grande-Marlaska and Matteo Piantedosi spoke by phone after Pedro Sánchez and Giorgia Meloni met on the sidelines of a European Council summit.
Both governments will strengthen the exchange of information to ensure full security of the Schengen area, according to Spain's Interior Ministry.
Spain and Italy have agreed not to extend the reciprocal border controls they had kept in place since August. The checks covered flights and sea links for passengers arriving from the other country. Italy introduced its measures after a surge of irregular migration into Ceuta in late July, when more than 70,000 people entered the Spanish autonomous city, and Spain answered with matching checks. The decision ends the controls for both countries, and Spain's Interior Ministry said it came after careful analysis of the situation.
The agreement followed a telephone call between interior ministers Fernando Grande-Marlaska and Matteo Piantedosi, arranged after Pedro Sánchez and Giorgia Meloni met on the sidelines of a European Council summit. On Friday, 16 October, both leaders told their ministers to put the decision into practice within the following seven days. Meanwhile Italy extended its checks on passengers from Spain at ports and airports by one more week, and Spain kept its counter-measures for passengers from Italy. The Spanish Interior Ministry set out its position in these words:
“The decision not to extend the border controls, taken after a careful analysis of the situation, will be accompanied by a strengthening of information exchange.”
Under the Schengen Borders Code, reintroducing internal border checks is allowed, but the European Commission has consistently described it as a last resort and urged governments to seek alternative measures. Italian sources consulted by Europa Press said the two ministers would work to assess substitute cooperation measures together, while Spanish sources said the aim was to proceed with eliminating the controls. Open reported that the Italian checks had led to 700,000 inspections, 31 turnbacks and 6 arrests, and said Rome had extended the suspension again at the end of August. Open also reported that the Spanish government had clashed again with Rome in mid-September.
The air and sea checks on passengers from the other country end, and both interior ministries will step up information sharing to keep the Schengen area secure. AGI described the arrangement as a new phase based on intelligence cooperation between the two governments.
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The reciprocal checks on passengers arriving by air and sea were introduced after the Ceuta migrant crisis, and the two governments will not extend them. The decision follows a call between their interior ministers.
AI text based on reports by LaSexta, RTVE.es, La Razón and other publishers. Published .