The conflict between Madrid and Rome shows no signs of abating. And a week after the invasion of tens of thousands of Moroccans into the Spanish exclave of Ceuta, which led the Italian government to suspend the Schengen Agreement for a month At the border with Spain, Pedro Sanchez's government, as promised, has implemented its retaliation against Rome: "Spain will introduce temporary border controls for travelers from Italy, in response to similar measures imposed by Rome following the massive influx of migrants in Ceuta."
The Interior Ministry issued a terse statement, specifying that the checks are part of the "context of the persistent irregular migration pressure" Italy is experiencing. Madrid then specified that the checks will begin at midnight on Saturday and will last until September 7. In essence, Pedro Sanchez's socialist government has moved from words to deeds, thus forcing passengers arriving from Italy to the Iberian Peninsula, during crucial holiday weeks, to undergo checks at ports and airports.
Hours earlier, Giorgia Meloni's government had reiterated the Spanish Prime Minister's threat of retaliation by digging in its heels: “We do not accept ultimatums or impositions from abroad”, especially regarding "national security" and "border controls." "There is no room in Europe for those who fuel illegal immigration channels to obtain cheap labor and lower rights," the prime minister then remarked ahead of the ceremony commemorating the Marcinelle tragedy.
Therefore, there will be no lifting of the Schengen ban, at least for now. Palazzo Chigi has explained that Italy "under no circumstances intends to review the decision at least until August 15," a date that social media buzz in Morocco has identified—and spread—as a possible indication of an upcoming attempt to "enter Europe" through Ceuta and Melilla: a warning that the Spanish authorities themselves have described as "credible."Only when there is certainty that there will be no security risks and terrorism for Italy, that there is no new wave, that there are no irregular migrants heading towards European territory, what has already been decided can be reviewed", specifies the government, underlining the absence of "prejudice towards a friendly country like Spain".
