The EU is mulling a partial suspension of the passport-free Schengen zone to cope with the migration crisis, but how would it do it and what other steps is Brussels considering?
- Why extend Schengen border checks? -
The Schengen zone allows travel without passports or visa across 26 countries -- 22 European Union states plus Norway, Switzerland, Iceland and Lichtenstein. This means that the entry state for non-EU nationals is effectively the external border.
In the last few months, Austria, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, and member Norway have all introduced temporary controls over the migrant crisis, but with a limit of six months. France reimposed them over terrorism fears.
EU interior ministers meeting in Amsterdam on Monday asked the European Commission -- the EU executive arm -- about extending the checks for up to two years as they fear refugee flows from Syria and other countries will pick up again in the spring.
The member states are required to inform the commission, which reviews whether they meet the criteria for reintroducing controls to a borderless area that is a cherished pillar of European unity and freedom.
The flexibility in the Schengen system to restore temporary checks when needed is designed to relieve the borderless zone from pressures that could cause its collapse.
- What is basis for longer checks? -
Article 26 of the Schengen code allows members of the 26-country zone, which includes most EU countries, to reintroduce internal border controls for a maximum of two years in exceptional circumstances.
Based on a proposal from the European Commission, the European Council, the grouping of member states, will make a recommendation on extensions of up to two years.
"It's a last resort, but does not amount to a suspension of Schengen. It's about allowing the few countries that re-established controls to extend them if they have to," a legal expert told AFP.
A European Commission report on Wednesday accusing Greece of "seriously neglecting" the EU's external borders and giving it three months to comply could pave the way for an easier introduction of a two-year suspension.
- Will Macedonia-Greece border close? -
Migration flows over the Greek border to non-EU Macedonia have been a major concern, especially when the Western Balkans route for migrants was at its most used during the summer.
The European Commission confirmed on Monday that it had sent a mission to Macedonia to discuss how it could help staunch the numbers.
Slovenia last week called for Macedonia to effectively seal off its border with Greece.
- Why Turkey is key? -
Under a deal that the EU sealed last November after tough negotiations, Turkey pledged to break the migrant flow through its territory to Greece, the route that most refugees and migrants take to Europe.
The Turks pledged to tighten their borders, notably by promising to fight smugglers who operate on their territory, accept more "readmissions" of migrants who could not claim refugee status, and let refugees find work.
The Europeans among other things promised to provide Turkey with three billion euros ($3.26 billion) of aid, mainly for projects to improve the daily lives of Syrian refugees in Turkey.
But the EU is complaining that between 2,000 and 3,000 migrants were still arriving daily via Turkey.
- What's going on with hotspots? -
Greece and Italy are setting up 11 "hotspots," or centres where EU and other officials register arriving migrants before determining whether they can be admitted to Europe as asylum seekers or rejected as economic migrants.
But Greece has so far only set up one out of its five planned "hotspots".
Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker has publicly slammed member states for being too slow to deliver on a deal to relocate 160,000 asylum seekers over two years.
Only 157 have so far been relocated from Greece and 257 from Italy.
- How to bolster EU external borders? -
EU states flooded with asylum seekers say the problem can be eased with stronger external borders like the Greek-Turkish one. The EU hopes to reach agreement by June 30 on setting up a new pan-European border and coastguard force, which could intervene in member states without the host country's consent.
The EU is mulling a partial suspension of the passport-free Schengen zone to cope with the migration crisis, but how would it do it and what other steps is Brussels considering?
– Why extend Schengen border checks? –
The Schengen zone allows travel without passports or visa across 26 countries — 22 European Union states plus Norway, Switzerland, Iceland and Lichtenstein. This means that the entry state for non-EU nationals is effectively the external border.
In the last few months, Austria, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, and member Norway have all introduced temporary controls over the migrant crisis, but with a limit of six months. France reimposed them over terrorism fears.
EU interior ministers meeting in Amsterdam on Monday asked the European Commission — the EU executive arm — about extending the checks for up to two years as they fear refugee flows from Syria and other countries will pick up again in the spring.
The member states are required to inform the commission, which reviews whether they meet the criteria for reintroducing controls to a borderless area that is a cherished pillar of European unity and freedom.
The flexibility in the Schengen system to restore temporary checks when needed is designed to relieve the borderless zone from pressures that could cause its collapse.
– What is basis for longer checks? –
Article 26 of the Schengen code allows members of the 26-country zone, which includes most EU countries, to reintroduce internal border controls for a maximum of two years in exceptional circumstances.
Based on a proposal from the European Commission, the European Council, the grouping of member states, will make a recommendation on extensions of up to two years.
“It’s a last resort, but does not amount to a suspension of Schengen. It’s about allowing the few countries that re-established controls to extend them if they have to,” a legal expert told AFP.
A European Commission report on Wednesday accusing Greece of “seriously neglecting” the EU’s external borders and giving it three months to comply could pave the way for an easier introduction of a two-year suspension.
– Will Macedonia-Greece border close? –
Migration flows over the Greek border to non-EU Macedonia have been a major concern, especially when the Western Balkans route for migrants was at its most used during the summer.
The European Commission confirmed on Monday that it had sent a mission to Macedonia to discuss how it could help staunch the numbers.
Slovenia last week called for Macedonia to effectively seal off its border with Greece.
– Why Turkey is key? –
Under a deal that the EU sealed last November after tough negotiations, Turkey pledged to break the migrant flow through its territory to Greece, the route that most refugees and migrants take to Europe.
The Turks pledged to tighten their borders, notably by promising to fight smugglers who operate on their territory, accept more “readmissions” of migrants who could not claim refugee status, and let refugees find work.
The Europeans among other things promised to provide Turkey with three billion euros ($3.26 billion) of aid, mainly for projects to improve the daily lives of Syrian refugees in Turkey.
But the EU is complaining that between 2,000 and 3,000 migrants were still arriving daily via Turkey.
– What’s going on with hotspots? –
Greece and Italy are setting up 11 “hotspots,” or centres where EU and other officials register arriving migrants before determining whether they can be admitted to Europe as asylum seekers or rejected as economic migrants.
But Greece has so far only set up one out of its five planned “hotspots”.
Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker has publicly slammed member states for being too slow to deliver on a deal to relocate 160,000 asylum seekers over two years.
Only 157 have so far been relocated from Greece and 257 from Italy.
– How to bolster EU external borders? –
EU states flooded with asylum seekers say the problem can be eased with stronger external borders like the Greek-Turkish one. The EU hopes to reach agreement by June 30 on setting up a new pan-European border and coastguard force, which could intervene in member states without the host country’s consent.
