Travellers between Italy and Spain must continue to expect spot border checks between the two EU countries, after Italy extended the measure by a further 15 days in a dispute over the handling of migrants, with Spain immediately following suit.
Italy's Interior Ministry in Rome said notification of the extension of checks at air and sea borders would be sent to the EU.
The measure was introduced a month ago by the right-wing government of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni following the arrival of thousands of migrants in Ceuta, Spain's North African exclave.
Shortly after Italy announced the extension, the Interior Ministry in Madrid said on request that border checks for travellers from Italy would also be maintained for 15 days from September 7. That is the date on which the one-month period expires that Spain had set in response to Italy's introduction of border checks on August 1. The Spanish checks are therefore expected to last at least until September 22.
Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi informed his Spanish counterpart Fernando Grande-Marlaska of the extension during a "constructive telephone conversation," the Italian side said.
Italy's return to border checks, reminiscent of the period before Europe's passport-free Schengen system, prompted Spain to respond a week later by introducing its own checks on travellers arriving from Italy at ports and airports.
Italy's Interior Ministry said the "assessment grounds that had formed the basis for the reintroduction of checks" continued to apply. Rome argued when introducing the controls that Italy's borders needed to be protected because of the large number of migrants arriving in Ceuta.
However, there were no indications that any of the migrants who arrived in Ceuta had attempted to travel to Italy. They were not even permitted to travel to mainland Spain.
Critics accused Meloni of using the border controls to make a political statement at home, as her government faces growing pressure from the new far-right National Future party.
