Italy, Spain to Remove Border Checks

Italy and Spain have agreed to remove tit-for-tat border checks imposed during a dispute over migration, following talks between their leaders on the sidelines of a European Union summit in Brussels.

Diplomatic and government sources confirmed the agreement on Friday, bringing an end to a standoff that began during the summer.

The dispute started after Italy’s Interior Ministry introduced checks on travellers arriving from Spain, following the movement of thousands of migrants from Morocco into Ceuta, a Spanish territory in North Africa.

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Spanish national police officers check the documents of travellers arriving from Italy, after Spain's government said it would establish border controls for flights and ships from Italy, from midnight on Saturday until September 7, in a dispute over irregular migration, at Madrid-Barajas Airport.. — Spanish national police officers check the documents of travellers arriving from Italy, after Spain’s government said it would establish border controls for flights and ships from Italy, from midnight on Saturday until September 7, in a dispute over irregular migration, at Madrid-Barajas Airport. Credit: Reuters.

Under the agreement, Italy will maintain its checks for another week to ensure they expire at the same time as Spain’s measures, according to Italian government sources.

The deal followed discussions between Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez during the EU leaders’ meeting, where migration was among the issues discussed, a Spanish diplomat said.

Although Italy and Spain do not share a land border, travellers arriving by air had been subjected to passport checks. Such controls are normally not required because both countries belong to the Schengen Area, which allows passport-free travel across participating countries.