Ceuta border spat reaches Puglia's ports, testing summer trade lanes

Spain has imposed temporary border checks on travellers arriving from Italy, escalating a rare dispute between the two EU partners over migration, according to France 24. The move follows Italy's decision to introduce similar controls after more than 70,000 migrants crossed into Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta from Morocco on July 30-31, the outlet reported.

The tit-for-tat restrictions have now reached Puglia, where summer travel lanes to Spain run through the region's ports and airports. Bari's ferry terminal and Karol Wojtyła Airport handle a steady flow of holidaymakers and freight between the Adriatic coast and Spanish destinations, and the new checks are adding queues and paperwork to journeys that were previously passport-free under the Schengen agreement.

The EU has said the restrictions are temporary and will have no lasting impact on the Schengen zone, according to France 24. But for travellers and businesses in Puglia, the immediate effect is tangible: longer waits at checkpoints, missed connections and a sense that the open-border promise of summer has been suspended.