What is known about the swimming arrival of Moroccan immigrants in Ceuta Italy reintroduced this Friday (31) border controls with Spain, temporarily suspending free movement between the two countries. The measure is a response to the large flow of migrants who entered Ceuta, an autonomous Spanish city in Africa that borders Morocco. The decision could affect Brazilian tourists. ? Follow the g1 international news channel on WhatsApp In practice, according to the Italian government, the air and sea borders with Spain will once again have controls. As a result, people traveling from Spain to Italy will be able to undergo inspections and stricter supervision when trying to enter the country. Until then, anyone moving between the two countries traveled without migration controls because of the Schengen Area, an agreement that brings together 29 European countries. According to Italian citizenship expert Matheus Reis, CEO of io.Gringo, the Schengen Area works as if it were a three-story building: Bottom floor: guarantees the free movement of European Union citizens between the bloc's countries, even when the destination is not part of the Schengen Area. It is a right provided for in European Union treaties, and not in the Schengen agreement. Middle floor: is the Schengen Area itself. In it, border controls between participating countries are eliminated, allowing anyone who has legally entered the area — regardless of nationality — to move between these countries without undergoing further inspections. Upstairs: represents the common external border of the Schengen Area. As internal controls have been eliminated, countries share rules for entry of travelers, visa policies, inspection of external borders and security databases. This means that a Brazilian tourist who enters a Schengen Area country can travel to another country that is part of the agreement without going through new migration control. And it is precisely this procedure that changes with the Italian decision. Welliton Girotto, CEO and immigration specialist at Master Cidadania, explains that the measure reintroduces controls normally adopted to reinforce the supervision of irregular migratory flows and security issues. This, however, does not mean that tourists will be prevented from traveling from Spain to Italy. "In practice, tourists, families and travelers who have their documentation in order are usually not the focus of these measures, especially during holiday periods, when the flow of visitors is naturally greater", he states. "What could happen is an increase in checks and longer waiting times at some border points, without this necessarily representing a restriction on regular tourism." Matheus Reis makes the same assessment. According to him, the reintroduction of controls does not change the right to remain for those who have already legally entered the Schengen Area. "Italy and Spain do not have a land border. So, the impact will be on those traveling by plane or by sea. This is not a new entry into the Schengen Area, but a reinforcement of inspections to enter Italy", he explains. Brazilian passport Agência Brasil Migration crisis in Ceuta worries The decision comes amid the reaction of European countries to the migration crisis that broke out this week in Ceuta. Around 60,000 people swam across the border, and more than 50 died. On Thursday (30), the Prime Minister of Italy, Giorgia Meloni, had already threatened to suspend the Schengen agreement with Spain. She also stated that illegal immigration represents "a concrete threat" to the security of the European Union's borders. The governments of Sweden and Denmark echoed Meloni's statements. Earlier this Friday, the Prime Minister of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, told the European Union that "this is not the time to create more divisions" in the bloc. The Spanish government also reported that 48,000 immigrants returned to Morocco throughout the day. MORE VIDEO Immigrants walk with difficulty through the waters of the Mediterranean Sea to try to cross the border between Morocco and the Spanish territory of Ceuta, on July 31, 2026 Jon Nazca/Reuters