Spain imposes border checks on Italian travellers in tit-for-tat move over Ceuta migrants row

A diplomatic spat between Spain and Italy over the rush of tens of thousands of migrants to the Spanish territory of Ceuta escalated on Saturday (August 8, 2026) after the government in Madrid announced border controls on Italian travellers in response to Rome's decision to impose sanctions on visitors from Spain.

Italians arriving at Barcelona airport were subject to random police checks after the controls were put into effect overnight, according to Spain's state news agency EFE.

The Spanish government said the controls would stay in place for at least a month after Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni rejected Spain's warning on Friday (August 7) that it would take “proportionate measures to protect the interests and dignity of its citizens” if Rome didn't lift its own restrictions by an Aug. 9 deadline.