Italy Slaps ‘Unacceptable’ on Spain’s New Border Checks—Travelers Caught in the Crossfire

Italy’s foreign minister has slammed Spain’s decision to impose spot checks on travelers from Italy as “incomprehensible and completely unacceptable,” as a bitter migration dispute disrupts travel between the two European Union nations. The checks began at midnight on Saturday, with Spanish officials stopping visitors arriving from Italy at random. The move is retaliation for Rome’s own border checks on Spaniards, which started on August 1. That earlier step came after Spain struggled to manage the sudden arrival of about 72,000 migrants into Ceuta, its small territory on the northern coast of Africa. The influx has triggered a political row, with Italy demanding stricter EU action and Spain accusing its neighbor of undermining solidarity. Now, ordinary travelers are bearing the brunt. Passengers moving between the two countries face delays and uncertainty as the feud escalates, with no clear end in sight. Both governments have defended their actions as necessary security measures, but the dispute shows no sign of cooling.