New Border Checks Cause Airport Chaos as Spain-Italy Feud Deepens

PARIS — A diplomatic dispute between Italy and Spain over the migrant crisis in Ceuta has triggered new identity checks at airports, leading to long queues and fresh cracks in Europe’s Schengen open-border system. The checks come after Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen jointly condemned what they called uncontrolled immigration. “We do not accept uncontrolled immigration to Europe,” Meloni wrote on social media, standing alongside Frederiksen. The measures mark a rare public split between two EU member states and have disrupted travel for thousands of passengers. The Schengen area normally allows passport-free movement across 27 countries. The new controls are a direct response to the situation in Ceuta, a Spanish enclave on Morocco’s coast, where a surge of migrants has strained local resources and triggered political fallout. Spain has defended its handling of the crisis, but Italy and Denmark have pushed for stricter border enforcement. The airport queues are the most visible sign yet that the dispute is moving from political rhetoric into daily life. Travelers now face delays at multiple hubs, and airlines have warned of further disruptions. The standoff raises new questions about the future of Schengen, a cornerstone of European integration. Analysts say the disagreement could encourage other member states to impose similar checks, further weakening the bloc’s unity. Neither Spain nor Italy has indicated when the new controls will be lifted.