Government clarifies Spain’s land borders closed until July 1 after minister said frontiers with France and Spain reopening June 22

THE Spanish government has clarified that Spain’s land borders will remain closed until July 1 after a minister said the country’s frontiers with Portugal and France would reopen on June 22.

Industry, Trade and Tourism Minister Reyes Maroto told foreign correspondents on Thursday morning that restrictions on border crossings with Portugal and France would be removed from when the State of Alarm ends.

A day earlier Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez secured a sixth and final extension to the State of Alarm in Congress, taking it up to June 21.

But just two hours after Maroto’s statements the government issued a press release in which it said that “safe international movement will take place from July 1,” as the Prime Minister had previously said.

The statement added that movement within Spanish territory would resume from when the State of Alarm was over, but in regard to external travel it pointed out that “controls on land, air and sea borders “would be able to be extended beyond the State of Alarm.”

The government went on to say that it is in “permanent contact” with the European Commission and the EU-member states to “coordinate and harmonise the gradual elimination of inter-European restrictions on border controls.

Controls on Spain’s frontiers with France and Portugal were put in place on March 17.