Ceuta border row threatens Adriatic summer travel

Spain has announced it will introduce temporary border checks on visitors from Italy, in response to Rome imposing similar measures after a mass rush of people from Morocco into Ceuta. The checks come amid a rare spat between the two European Union nations, according to the Guardian.

The BBC reported that Italy introduced its border controls following an influx of about 78,000 migrants from Morocco into the neighbouring Spanish exclave of Ceuta. France 24 described the rush as an unprecedented, deadly crossing that has drawn sharp criticism of both governments' handling of the frontier.

Spain had warned Italy it would impose entry checks on visitors unless Rome halts its controls by Sunday, Deutsche Welle reported. Even though the two countries do not share a land border, the dispute has escalated into a test of the Schengen free-travel area's resilience.