After Val di Susa Clashes, Italy Tightens Internal Border Checks with France

Turin – One day after visiting the Val di Susa construction sites, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni confirmed on 28 July 2026 that law-enforcement agencies have been authorised to intensify identity checks along the Piedmont and Ligurian road crossings with France. The decision follows weekend clashes in which hooded activists, some arriving from neighbouring EU states, assaulted security forces guarding the high-speed rail (TAV) tunnels. Although the government stopped short of re-introducing full border controls (which would require formal notification to Brussels), the Interior Ministry instructed police to make “systematic, targeted” inspections of vehicles with foreign plates for the next 72 hours. Coach operators running business-traveller shuttles between Lyon, Chambéry and Turin have already reported 30- to 45-minute delays at the Fréjus and Col de Tende crossings. For mobility managers the clamp-down means that assignees driving or taking company cars from France into Italy should carry both a passport/ID card and proof of hotel or assignment letter. Anecdotal reports indicate that officers are also requesting work-permit receipts from third-country nationals residing in France but posted temporarily to Italian sites. Meloni, accompanied by Interior Minister Piantedosi, said the measures are intended to “deter organised violence masquerading as protest” and vowed to hold foreign offenders liable for damages. Business associations building the Turin–Lyon corridor welcomed the move, noting that construction delays caused by security incidents have already added €220 million to project costs. Background: Italy has maintained limited land-border checks with Slovenia since 19 June under Article 25 of the Schengen Borders Code, citing security threats. The Val di Susa order is narrower and time-bound but underlines a growing trend toward more agile, event-driven border enforcement within the Schengen area.