Italy and Spain clash, Moroccans bear the brunt
Moroccans residing in Italy who travel to Spain must now keep their passport and residence permit close at hand. Since this Saturday, August 8, Madrid has reinstated checks at ports and airports for travelers arriving from Italy.
The measure came into force at midnight and is to remain in effect until September 7. The checks do not systematically concern all travelers: they must be carried out randomly at Spanish airports and ports on arrivals from Italy.
On Bladi.net : article 122569
For Italian citizens, the authorities will mainly check identity and travel documents. But an additional check is planned for nationals of third countries. Moroccans established in Italy fall precisely into this category: the Spanish police may ask them for their passport as well as their visa or residence permit.
Concretely, an MRE taking a Milan-Barcelona or Rome-Madrid flight may therefore be checked upon arrival. If he holds a Moroccan passport and a valid Italian residence permit, nothing changes regarding his right to travel: he does not need to apply for a Spanish visa for a short stay.
The Schengen rules do indeed allow the holder of a residence permit issued by a country in the Schengen area to travel to another member state for a maximum period of 90 days within a 180-day period. The change mainly concerns the effective return of checks, whereas these documents were rarely requested when traveling between Italy and Spain.
Cadena SER confirms that the Spanish authorities will notably check the visa or residence permit of third-country nationals selected for inspection.
Beware of a residence permit being renewed
The situation is more complicated for MREs whose Italian residence permit has expired and who are awaiting its renewal.
A Moroccan national may, for example, have his passport, his expired “permesso di soggiorno” and the “ricevuta,” the receipt issued after submitting his renewal application. This document proves that the procedure is underway in Italy, but it does not place its holder in the same situation as a traveler with a valid Italian residence permit when he wishes to travel to another Schengen country.
Example: a Moroccan living in Milan whose permit expired in June takes a flight to Barcelona with his renewal receipt. Upon arrival, the Spanish police may now check his documents. He will then have to justify his situation even though he cannot present the valid residence card normally required for travel between two Schengen countries.
The MREs concerned must therefore be particularly cautious before traveling to Spain as long as their new permit has not been issued.
The Spanish decision comes amid a full confrontation with Rome. Italy itself had reinstated restrictions on nationals of third countries arriving from Spain after the mass crossings recorded in Ceuta. Giorgia Meloni’s government announced on Friday that it would maintain its measures at least until August 15.
On Bladi.net : article 111628
Madrid responded by also introducing checks on travelers arriving from Italy, but for a much longer period: until September 7, unless the measure is amended earlier.