Spain's border checks on Italy hit Sardinia's lifeline ferry routes

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, according to the Guardian.

The checks come amid a rare spat between the two EU nations, with France 24 reporting that Spain's move is retaliation for Rome's decision to suspend the Schengen free-travel agreement. The row erupted after tens of thousands of people crossed from Morocco to Spain's North African territory Ceuta in an unprecedented, deadly rush.

The BBC reported that Italy introduced its border controls following an influx of about 78,000 migrants from Morocco into the neighbouring Spanish exclave. The Guardian's Europe live blog noted Ceuta's president, Juan Jesús Vivas, has briefed EU lawmakers on the 'humanitarian emergency', with an updated death toll of at least 100 people.