Rome and Madrid agree not to extend temporary controls, restoring full Schengen rules after nearly three months of diplomatic tension.Italy and Spain have agreed to end the temporary border checks they imposed on each other’s travellers, restoring the full application of Schengen rules between the two countries.The Italian interior ministry announced the decision on Thursday, following a phone call between interior ministers Matteo Piantedosi and Fernando Grande-Marlaska. The call followed a meeting between prime minister Giorgia Meloni and her Spanish counterpart, Pedro Sánchez, on the sidelines of last week’s European Council summit. Both governments said the existing suspensions would not be extended. They added that the move will be accompanied by closer information-sharing to safeguard security across the Schengen area. Italy had extended its checks on 16 October by just seven days, in order to coordinate their withdrawal with Madrid and begin what it described as a new phase of bilateral cooperation. Spain’s reciprocal measures were due to expire on 22 October. Background: the Ceuta crisis The dispute began on 30 and 31 July, when an estimated 70,000 to 80,000 people crossed from Morocco into Ceuta, Spain’s enclave on the north African coast. Ceuta lies outside the Schengen area. On 1 August, Rome reintroduced temporary checks on passengers arriving from Spain by air and sea, citing risks to internal security and possible terrorist infiltration. The checks focused mainly on non-EU nationals. Madrid called the move unjustified. Spanish foreign minister José Manuel Albares described it as “absurd”. On 8 August, Spain introduced equivalent checks on travellers arriving from Italy, citing migratory pressure. Both sets of measures were renewed several times. According to Italian interior ministry figures, around 180,000 people arriving from Spain were identified in August. Of these, 31 were turned away, and none was found to be among the migrants who had reached Ceuta. With the checks lifted, the two governments say they will focus on cooperation on security and migration, without further restrictions on free movement.

Italy and Spain have agreed to end the temporary border checks they imposed on each other’s travellers, restoring the full application of Schengen rules between the two countries. The Italian interior ministry announced the decision on Thursday, following a phone call between interior ministers Matteo Piantedosi and Fernando Grande-Marlaska. The call followed a meeting between prime minister Giorgia Meloni and her Spanish counterpart, Pedro Sánchez, on the sidelines of last week’s European Council summit. Both governments said the existing suspensions would not be extended. They added that the move will be accompanied by closer information-sharing to safeguard security across the Schengen area. Italy had extended its checks on 16 October by just seven days, in order to coordinate their withdrawal with Madrid and begin what it described as a new phase of bilateral cooperation. Spain’s reciprocal measures were due to expire on 22 October. The dispute began on 30 and 31 July, when an estimated 70,000 to 80,000 people crossed from Morocco into Ceuta, Spain’s enclave on the north African coast. Ceuta lies outside the Schengen area. On 1 August, Rome reintroduced temporary checks on passengers arriving from Spain by air and sea, citing risks to internal security and possible terrorist infiltration. The checks focused mainly on non-EU nationals. Madrid called the move unjustified. Spanish foreign minister José Manuel Albares described it as “absurd”. On 8 August, Spain introduced equivalent checks on travellers arriving from Italy, citing migratory pressure. Both sets of measures were renewed several times. According to Italian interior ministry figures, around 180,000 people arriving from Spain were identified in August. Of these, 31 were turned away, and none was found to be among the migrants who had reached Ceuta. With the checks lifted, the two governments say they will focus on cooperation on security and migration, without further restrictions on free movement.