Giorgia Meloni says Italy must "safeguard national security" in suspending visa‑free travel to Spain

Spain has imposed temporary border checks on travelers from Italy, escalating a rare dispute between the two EU and NATO allies over migration. The Spanish measures, announced Friday, start at midnight and run through September 7, in response to Italy’s one-month suspension of visa-free Schengen travel from Spain. The standoff follows a deadly rush of tens of thousands of migrants from Morocco into Spain’s North African territory of Ceuta on July 30-31. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, whose government refused to lift its controls before August 15, initially called the step an exceptional measure to protect Italy’s national security and prevent possible fallout. Spain criticized the Italian move as unfair and harmful to European unity, while Italy rejected what it called ultimatums from abroad.