Spain threatens to retaliate against Italy after Rome introduces border controls affecting Spanish travellers, following a surge of migrants arriving in Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta. Spanish officials say roughly 70,000 migrants have crossed into Ceuta since a sudden influx began last week, prompting Spain to demand a quicker response from Italy regarding the new restrictions. Spain warns that if Italy does not remove the border checks, it will impose countermeasures, though the specific forms of retaliation are not detailed in the reports.
Italy responds by rejecting Spain’s demands, with Italian officials stating they will not accept “ultimatums or impositions.” According to multiple outlets, Italy frames the measures as a decision it is prepared to keep in place unless there is a change in approach. The dispute centers on how Italy applies border controls on Spanish visitors by air and sea in connection with the migrant situation linked to the Ceuta crossings.
