The Italian interior ministry has formally notified the European Commission that it will continue to apply internal border controls on all air- and sea-arrivals from Spain through 01 October 2026. The fresh 15-day extension, published on the EU’s Schengen monitoring portal overnight, follows the expiry of the previous order on 15 September and keeps in place spot passport and security inspections at Italian airports and ferry ports for passengers originating in Spain. Rome first suspended the Schengen free-movement regime for Spain on 1 August after more than 72,000 irregular migrants entered the Spanish enclave of Ceuta in late July. Italian officials argue that the mass crossing created “continued threats to public policy and internal security” and raises the risk of secondary movements toward Italy. Spanish authorities have responded with mirror-image checks on travellers from Italy, escalating an unprecedented bilateral spat inside the passport-free zone. While the controls amount to random police checks rather than full immigration procedures, travellers have reported extra queuing at Rome-Fiumicino, Milan-Malpensa, Venice and Genoa cruise terminals. Airlines have issued guidance asking passengers on Italy–Spain routes to arrive at least 30 minutes earlier than usual and to ensure passports remain valid for the entire stay, even for EU nationals who would normally travel on identity cards alone. Business-travel planners warn that the rolling two-week renewals create uncertainty for corporate mobility programmes, especially for staff shuttling between group operations in Milan and Madrid. Companies are advising employees to factor in possible delays when making tight onward connections and to carry evidence of accommodation and return flights that can be presented to border police if requested. The Italian government has hinted that controls will stay in place “as long as necessary” to deter what it calls the exploitation of intra-Schengen travel by smuggling networks. The dispute also risks complicating broader EU negotiations on migration burden-sharing and could set a precedent for more frequent bilateral suspensions of Schengen rules.
Source: EU Commission Schengen Portal
