Late on 30 September the Italian Ministry of the Interior announced a third, 15-day extension of the temporary suspension of the Schengen free-movement rules on all air- and sea-links with Spain. Rome first re-introduced border controls on 8 August after several hundred migrants entered the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, arguing that the incident created an immediate risk of secondary movements towards Italy. The renewed decree—now valid until 16 October—was cleared by the cabinet after a fresh assessment by the inter-agency Committee for Immigration and Border Security. Travellers arriving from Spain will therefore continue to face systematic passport checks at Italian ports and airports; EU citizens must show either a national ID card or passport, while non-EU nationals can expect full Entry/Exit System processing. Carrier-liability fines for airlines and ferry operators that transport passengers lacking the correct documents remain in force. Business-travel specialists report average clearance times at Rome-Fiumicino have lengthened by 15-20 minutes during peak evening banks, and advise allocating at least 90 minutes for connections. Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi stressed that the measure is “exceptional and proportionate” and said Italy has notified the European Commission under Article 25 of the Schengen Borders Code. He also confirmed plans to open six additional detention centres (CPRs) across the country to accelerate removals of migrants with no legal right to stay. The minister projects that total forced and voluntary returns will surpass 10,000 this year—a record. Madrid immediately stated that, for reasons of reciprocity, Spain would prolong its own checks on travellers arriving from Italy beyond 7 October. Airline association A4E warns that the tit-for-tat controls could depress autumn traffic between the two countries just as corporate demand typically rebounds after the summer. Companies moving staff between Iberian and Italian offices should budget for longer door-to-door times and brief mobile employees on documentation requirements. In the medium term, the dispute adds political pressure on the EU’s Justice and Home Affairs Council, which is due to discuss a Commission “action plan” on sudden mass arrivals at its 2 October session. Mobility managers should monitor whether Brussels pushes for coordinated risk-based measures to avoid future bilateral suspensions that fragment the Schengen area.
Source: ANSA
