The dispute between the governments of Giorgia Meloni and Pedro Sánchez is already beginning to affect Italian tourists. in the middle of the summer season.
Since Saturday (8), passengers on flights from Italy have faced additional controls upon arrival in Spain, with document checks and, in some cases, referral for identification.
The measure was adopted by Madrid. in response to controls previously imposed by Italy to passengers arriving from Spain, following the migration crisis in Ceuta.
Passengers stranded in Barcelona
At Barcelona airport, passengers on a Vueling flight from Milan were held at the jet bridge while police organized the inspection.
The Supreme Court reaffirmed: citizenship is born with the person.
- New legal front opened
- Processes can still be filed.
- Individual assessment before any decision.
According to Corriere della SeraA woman who did not have the physical document required additional verification. The image of the document on her cell phone was not sufficient. Other passengers reported similar scenes.
Italians arriving in Madrid and Barcelona from Rome said they were instructed to disembark with their documents in hand. In some cases, passengers were separated for further checks.
The checks are done by sampling and only affect a portion of the travelers.
Nearly 3 million passengers in August
The potential impact is significant. Approximately 2,9 million seats are available on direct flights between Italy and Spain this month, the peak tourist season in Europe.
There are approximately 500 flights per day between the two countries.
So far, there have been no reports of widespread disruptions, but the checks may cause queues and delays, especially for passengers with connecting flights.
The dispute has reached the airports.
Italy has begun screening passengers arriving from Spain, citing security reasons related to the migration crisis.
The Sánchez government called the Italian decision disproportionate and responded with inspections of travelers arriving from Italy.
The Spanish measures may remain in effect until September 7th.
The European Union is trying to prevent an escalation between the two governments.
While Rome and Madrid exchange accusations, tourists have once again encountered document checks when traveling between two countries within the Schengen Area, where movement without systematic border inspections is one of the main rules.
