Spain and Italy agree to annul the border controls imposed since the Ceuta crisis

The Spanish government announces that it has reached an agreement with the Italian Interior Ministry not to extend any longer the border controls that existed between both countries and which had been in force since August. Specifically, the Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, decided to impose this measure in response to the migration crisis in Ceuta and the entry of migrants from Morocco at the end of July, and the Sánchez executive responded reciprocally.

The controls affected flights and maritime connections for passengers traveling from Spain to Italy or vice versa. The decision to cancel these controls "will be accompanied by a strengthening of information exchange to guarantee the full security of the Schengen area," as reported this Thursday by the Interior Ministry.

Both countries will stop conducting these controls, a measure that was preceded by a telephone conversation held by the Interior Ministers, Fernando Grande-Marlaska and Matteo Piantedosi, scheduled as a result of the meeting held on the sidelines of the European Council between Pedro Sánchez and Giorgia Meloni. During the last summit of European leaders in Brussels, Sánchez and Meloni moved closer to positions for the suppression of these controls.

Last October 16, the two heads of government instructed their ministries to materialize this order the following week. While this was happening, Italy decided to extend for seven more days the controls at ports and airports for passengers coming from Spain, with the corresponding countermeasure from the Sánchez government for those coming from Italy.

According to Europa Press, the Interior Ministers of both countries were working to "evaluate substitute cooperation measures," while on the Spanish side it was specified that they wanted to eliminate the controls. Although the reintroduction of these measures at the borders between member states is a measure provided for by the Schengen code, the European Commission has always maintained that it should be a "last resort" option and has urged governments to seek alternative measures to strengthen surveillance without suspending the free movement of people.