Madrid: "Rome must lift border controls by Sunday or we will take action."

The Spanish government has demanded that Rome revoke its border controls by Sunday, August 9, describing the measures as unjust and discriminatory toward Spanish citizens. Madrid warned that it would adopt counter-measures if the restrictions are not lifted within the specified timeframe.

In the context of the diplomatic dispute, Rome emphasized its ongoing solidarity with Spain, noting that in 2023 Spain accepted a portion of the migrants who arrived on the Italian island of Lampedusa. Concurrently, a young migrant died attempting to enter the Spanish enclave of Ceuta using a paraglider, marking the first recorded fatality of a migrant attempting aerial access to the enclave.