The physical divide is the first tangible result of the Meloni government’s decision to suspend Schengen free movement with Spain for the month of August. On August 3-4, 2026, social media photos published by passengers began to show the new layout in action, including at Rome Fiumicino Airport and Venice Marco Polo Airport. The selective internal border controls officially went into effect on August 1, 2026. Because the two Mediterranean nations share no land border, the Italian Interior Ministry, under interior minister Matteo Piantedosi, is executing the security operation entirely at air and sea frontiers. On the ground, hub operators have assured passengers that flights are running normally despite the additional border controls.