Spain threatens countermeasures against Italy over Ceuta border dispute

Spain has threatened to impose countermeasures on travelers arriving from Italy if Rome does not lift, by next Sunday, the border controls it introduced on Madrid following last week's influx of migrants into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta in North Africa.

In a statement issued on Friday, the Spanish government described Italy's measures as "unfair, contrary to the interests of the European Union, and discriminatory against Spanish citizens."

The statement, a copy of which was obtained by Reuters, stressed that none of the migrants who entered Ceuta illegally last week had been able to move freely into the Schengen area, in accordance with the enclave's existing immigration rules.

Italy suspended Schengen free movement rules with Spain last Saturday in response to the migration crisis in Ceuta, where around 72,000 people temporarily crossed into the territory from neighboring Morocco.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni described the border controls as an "exceptional measure" taken "to ensure national security and prevent potential repercussions" for Italy. As Italy shares no land border with Spain, Meloni's measures apply to sea and air travel.