Italy is carefully evaluating when to restore passport-free travel with Spain, Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said Monday, conditioning the move on the evolution of what he called a "very worrying" migrant crisis in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta.
Rome reintroduced border controls on travellers from Spain on July 31, following a mass irregular entry of an estimated 70,000 people into Ceuta. Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi had said the measure would not be reviewed before August 15, a deadline that has now passed without a decision. The suspension remains in force at Italian ports and airports.
Madrid retaliated two days after Italy's initial move, imposing its own border checks on flights from Italy through September 7. Spanish authorities have identified more than 5,000 travellers arriving from Italy since the reciprocal controls took effect on August 8.