Spain announced on Friday it would introduce temporary border checks on travellers from Italy in response to Rome imposing similar measures after a mass migrant rush into Ceuta. Hours earlier, Spain threatened Italy with countermeasures if it did not swiftly lift its own border checks, drawing a rebuff from Rome. Try again Cover image: Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez makes declarations in Ceuta, Spain, amid mass crossings of migrants on foot and by sea from Morocco into Spanish territory, July 31, 2026. Border authorities would in the meantime "do their utmost to ensure maximum ease of movement for Spanish and European citizens" who are not affected by border checks, the Italian statement added. Italy, which does not share a land border with Spain, introduced border controls at maritime and air entry points for third-country nationals arriving from the Iberian country.