The Italian Ministry of the Interior confirmed on 15 September 2026 that the temporary suspension of Schengen freedom of movement at air- and seaports for passengers arriving from Spain will remain in force until at least 30 September. The decision, adopted by ministerial decree and notified to Brussels the same morning, extends the extraordinary controls first introduced on 1 August after the mass entry of more than 72 000 migrants into Spain’s North-African enclave of Ceuta. Under Article 25 of the Schengen Borders Code, Member States may re-introduce internal controls for renewable periods of up to 20 days when a serious threat to public policy or internal security is identified. For business travellers the practical impact is limited to extra time at passport control. Police are carrying out random ID checks, particularly on low-cost flights between Madrid, Barcelona, Málaga and the main Italian gateways of Rome-Fiumicino and Milan-Malpensa. EU, EEA and Swiss citizens still use the EU/EEA lanes but can be asked to show return tickets or proof of accommodation. Non-EU nationals coming from Spain must be prepared for questions about the purpose and duration of their stay and should keep supporting documents on hand. The tit-for-tat row is straining bilateral relations. Madrid has mirrored the Italian move and is checking passengers arriving from Italy, prompting Italian business associations Confindustria and Federturismo to warn of higher logistics costs and potential losses during the peak autumn trade-fair season. Airlines report no schedule changes so far, but travel managers are advising staff to allow an extra 45–60 minutes when connecting in either country. Politically, Rome argues that the controls are needed to curb ‘secondary movements’ of migrants who originally landed in Spain and then travelled onward. Critics in the European Parliament say the measure undermines Schengen unity and call for faster implementation of the new EU Asylum and Migration Pact’s solidarity mechanism. A Commission spokesperson said Brussels will "closely monitor proportionality" but acknowledged that the legal thresholds for a short extension appear to be met. Looking ahead, companies with regional mobility programmes should brief assignees and frequent flyers on possible delays, revise risk assessments for cross-border road transport, and consider alternative routings (e.g., via France) if tight connections are unavoidable.
Source: Associated Press / ANSA
