Spain Suspends Flights to Italy Amid Ceuta Migrant Crisis

Sun Sep 06 2026 03:11:04 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Spain has implemented temporary border checks on all flights and sea routes from Italy after a surge of migrants in Ceuta, sparking tensions with Italy.

Spain has imposed airport and border measures on all travel from Italy, effective from midnight as a response to a wave of migrants heading to the Spanish enclave of Ceuta in Morocco. The measures, lasting a month, come a week after Italy introduced similar restrictions. The move heightens friction between Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni, amid growing calls for tighter EU migration controls.

Spain Suspends Flights to Italy Amid Ceuta Migrant Crisis

From midnight on Saturday, Spain has enforced border checks on all air and sea travel from Italy. The decision follows a surge of some 78,000 migrants who crossed from Morocco to Ceuta, the Spanish enclave on North Africa’s coast.

Spanish authorities said that 5‑10% of passengers had documents inspected before allowed to disembark, a measure described as random. Italy, meanwhile, claimed its checks are also random and will last until at least 15 August, when new migration flows are expected to hit Ceuta.

The move deepens the rift between Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and Conservative Premier Giorgia Meloni, who has long demanded stricter EU migration rules. Italy emphasized that it remains outside the Schengen free‑movement zone, but Spain dismissed the claim, citing “spurious arguments.”

In Madrid, passengers reported that authorities required passports for every traveler, while some Italians experienced long queues and stipulated lines for checks. Italian officials exempt EU citizens from additional scrutiny, targeting only non‑EU travellers.

The Spanish measures are set to be in place until 7 September, unless circumstances change. The decision follows a recent Supreme Court ruling that allowed migrants stranded at sea on their way to Ceuta or Melilla to remain in Spain rather than be returned to Morocco.

The crisis also strained diplomatic ties with Morocco, which has long disputed Spain’s sovereignty over its enclaves and criticised the court ruling that eased strict border controls. Humanitarian concerns have risen, with reports that nearly a thousand minors remain in Ceuta and that many migrants have perished during the transit across the sea.

Alongside the travel restrictions, social media posts have begun to circulate, calling for another wave of crossings mid‑August. Some posts had over 100,000 followers, prompting a review of policy violations by social media giants.

For further details, contact the Spanish foreign ministry or check the latest updates from local news agencies.