Spain threatens retaliation against Italy unless border checks lifted by Sunday

Spain has threatened to retaliate against Italy unless Rome lifts temporary border checks by Sunday, escalating a dispute between the two countries over migration.

Madrid's Warning

"Should it fail to do so… Spain will be forced to adopt proportionate measures to protect the interests and dignity of its citizens," Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's office said in a statement on Friday.

Madrid did not specify what those measures could entail, though imposing reciprocal checks on travellers arriving from Italy would be an obvious option.

Spanish Response to Italian Criticism

The government also hit back at Italian criticism of its migration policy, arguing that Italy itself had failed to curb irregular arrivals, "with figures that have reached double those of Spain."

Yet, Spain is "confident that a pro-European spirit, common sense and good faith will prevail," the statement reads.

Strained Relations

Relations between Sánchez and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni have grown increasingly tense in recent months, particularly after the arrival of more than 70,000 migrants, most from neighbouring Morocco, in Ceuta on mainland Africa.

At the June summit of EU leaders in Brussels, Meloni slammed her Spanish counterpart for having regularised half a million undocumented migrants in Spain, giving them access to the rest of the EU's Schengen area.

Then, following the Ceuta crisis in late July, Meloni, together with Denmark's Mette Frederiksen, penned a letter signed by 22 EU countries urging a coordinated European response and blaming Spanish pro-migration policy as "pull factors."

Ceuta Crisis and Future Concerns

The vast majority of migrants have since left Ceuta, though Spanish authorities gave full credibility on Thursday to rumours online that a second wave might target the city on 15 August.

Italian Position

"The suspension of the Schengen Agreement with Spain is a temporary measure permitted by the EU treaties; we'll see after 15 August whether this threat will be observed," Matteo Piantedosi, the Italian interior minister, said in an interview during Bar Italia, the program created by the Brothers of Italy party.

He was referring to the duration of Italy's suspension of the Schengen Agreement with Spain due to the pressure on irregular migrants in Ceuta.

"Once we realise that the danger has passed, we will be happy first and foremost for Spain, then for Europe, and also for Italy," the minister added.

Inés Fernández-Pontes and Pietro Guastamacchia contributed to reporting.