Italian interior ministry says "elevated risk" of terrorist infiltration justifies a third extension of document checks on flights and ferries from Spain, first imposed after August's Ceuta migration crisis.Italy has extended border checks on air and sea arrivals from Spain for another 15 days, in what marks the third renewal of a measure introduced at the start of August.Interior minister Matteo Piantedosi confirmed the extension on Tuesday in a note sent to the European Commission and to his counterparts across the EU. The interior ministry said the decision followed an assessment by Italy's immigration and border security analysis committee, which met on Tuesday morning and concluded that "elevated risk profiles for internal security" remain, alongside "a possible danger linked to potential terrorist infiltration." Because Italy and Spain do not share a land border, the checks apply to passengers travelling by sea and air, with document checks carried out on ferries and flights arriving from Spain. Origins in the Ceuta crisis The controls were first introduced on 1 August, following a migration crisis at the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, on the north African coast bordering Morocco, where tens of thousands of people attempted to cross in the preceding weeks. Originally intended to last one month, the measure was extended for a further 15 days at the end of August, and has now been renewed for a third time. The move has at times been described in the press and by politicians as a "suspension" of the Schengen agreement on free movement within the EU. In fact, no suspension has taken place: Italy has instead invoked a provision within the Schengen Borders Code itself, which allows member states to reintroduce internal border controls in the event of "a serious threat to public policy or internal security." Spain yet to respond Spain's government had not responded to the latest extension at the time of writing. On previous occasions, Madrid reciprocated by imposing equivalent checks on arrivals from Italy, and a similar response is expected this time. Observers have noted that the reintroduction of border checks, while procedurally legitimate, also carries a domestic political dimension: the Italian government has sought to project a firm stance on irregular immigration at a time when the ruling coalition faces pressure from the right, including from the new far-right party founded by former army general Roberto Vannacci. Photo credit: Cineberg / Shutterstock.com

Italy has extended border checks on air and sea arrivals from Spain for another 15 days, in what marks the third renewal of a measure introduced at the start of August. Interior minister Matteo Piantedosi on Tuesday in a note sent to the European Commission and to his counterparts across the EU. The interior ministry said the decision followed an assessment by Italy's immigration and border security analysis committee, which met on Tuesday morning and concluded that "elevated risk profiles for internal security" remain, alongside "a possible danger linked to potential terrorist infiltration." Because Italy and Spain do not share a land border, the checks apply to passengers travelling by sea and air, with document checks carried out on ferries and flights arriving from Spain. The controls were first , following a migration crisis at the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, on the north African coast bordering Morocco, where tens of thousands of people attempted to cross in the preceding weeks. Originally intended to last one month, the at the end of August, and has now been renewed for a third time. The move has at times been described in the press and by politicians as a "suspension" of the Schengen agreement on free movement within the EU. In fact, no suspension has taken place: Italy has instead invoked a provision within the Schengen Borders Code itself, which allows member states to reintroduce internal border controls in the event of "a serious threat to public policy or internal security." Spain's government had not responded to the latest extension at the time of writing. On previous occasions, Madrid reciprocated by imposing equivalent checks on arrivals from Italy, and a similar response is expected this time. Observers have noted that the reintroduction of border checks, while procedurally legitimate, also carries a domestic political dimension: the Italian government has sought to project a firm stance on irregular immigration at a time when the ruling coalition faces pressure from the right, including from the new far-right party founded by former army general Roberto Vannacci. Photo credit: Cineberg / Shutterstock.com