Meloni challenges Spain and will maintain Schengen controls until August 15: "We do not accept ultimatums"

The Government of Giorgia Meloni has escalated the tension with Spain this Friday and will maintain border controls for travelers coming from the country at least until August 15. Rome has rejected the deadline set by Madrid to lift the restrictions before the end of Sunday and has responded harshly to the warning of possible proportional measures.

"Italy does not accept ultimatums or impositions from abroad on matters of national security and border control," the Prime Minister's office said in a statement. The Italian Executive postpones any review of the measure until it verifies that the migratory, security, and terrorism risks it claims to have detected have disappeared.

The chosen date coincides with a call circulated on social media to attempt another massive entry into Ceuta from Morocco. Spanish security forces are monitoring these calls, although the Government maintains that last week's crisis is being channeled. Rome has used this possible mobilization as an argument to extend the controls demanded by Spain for six more days.

Meloni has also conditioned any backtracking on the certainty that there will be no migrants heading irregularly towards European territory. Her Government assures that the decision does not deteriorate the relationship with Spain, which it continues to consider a "friendly country", and declares itself willing to maintain a constructive dialogue with Madrid.

Italy maintains that the extraordinary controls are primarily aimed at citizens of third countries and has promised to facilitate the transit of Spaniards and Europeans. In practice, passengers arriving from Spain continue to encounter document checks at Italian ports and airports, including controls carried out directly upon disembarking from planes.

Spain maintains the deadline until Sunday

Rome's response came just hours after the Spanish Government demanded an end to restrictions implemented on August 1 without prior communication. La Moncloa considers the Italian action "unjust", discriminatory for the Spanish population, and contrary to the interests of the European Union.

Spain maintains its demand for controls to end before Sunday, August 9. If Meloni keeps the measure, the Executive has warned that it will adopt a proportional response to protect the interests and dignity of affected citizens, although it has not yet specified its scope.

José Manuel Albares defended this Friday that the situation in Ceuta is "largely channeled and redirected." The Minister of Foreign Affairs recalled that most of the people who entered from Morocco have already returned and that none managed to reach the peninsula.

Ceuta also maintains a special regime within the Schengen area. Anyone who wants to travel from the autonomous city to the peninsula or the rest of European territory must go through a police control, a circumstance that the Government uses to dismantle the risk invoked by Italy.

According to data presented this week by Fernando Grande-Marlaska, some 72,000 people crossed the border irregularly and around 70,000 subsequently returned to Morocco. Albares has described the images of Spanish passengers subjected to controls at Italian airports as "unjustified and undignified" and has called for resolving the clash through diplomatic channels.

Meloni's refusal keeps the conflict open until Sunday. The Spanish Government will then have to decide whether to activate the announced proportional measures while Italy extends the controls, at least, until six days after the deadline set by Madrid expires.