BRUSSELS/ANKARA

The decision by EU member states to reinstate internal border controls, driven by security concerns related to irregular migration, threatens to undermine the “principle of free movement,” which is a fundamental element of EU integration.

In the second part of the report titled “Challenges Testing Europe’s Union Project,” Anadolu examines the resurgence of migration debates at the forefront of the EU's priorities and explores how internal border controls may affect the future of the Schengen Area, offering expert perspectives.

As the Schengen Area prepares to celebrate the 40th anniversary of its founding treaty in 2025, it is encountering unprecedented levels of border checks.

France, citing security concerns and increasing fears about irregular migration, introduced border checks with neighboring countries, including Belgium, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Spain, and Switzerland, starting Nov. 1, 2024.

This followed Germany’s contentious decision to reinstate border checks in September, extending measures at its land borders with Austria, Poland, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Luxembourg until March 15, 2025.

Several other countries, including Italy, Slovenia, Austria, and Denmark, have also extended existing border controls, while the Netherlands recently announced temporary checks at its borders with Belgium and Luxembourg.

Is Schengen principle ‘under threat’?

The Schengen Area, which allows over 400 million people to travel without passports across member countries, stands as one of the EU’s most significant achievements.

However, the reintroduction of internal border controls has raised concerns, with some viewing it as a threat to the free movement principle that is key to European integration.

The Schengen Borders Code permits exceptions for public policy or internal security threats, but the European Commission stresses that such measures should only be used as a "last resort" and should be "temporary."

Luxembourg’s Interior Minister Leon Gloden criticized the border controls, calling them “unacceptable” for Luxembourg.

Schengen is one of the EU’s “greatest achievements,” he stated, emphasizing that borders should not be allowed to resurface in people’s minds.

Additionally, Romania and Bulgaria’s integration into the Schengen Area is likely to delay the removal of internal border controls in the near future.

German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser has made it clear that Germany will continue border controls indefinitely as long as migration numbers remain high.

Migration on EU agenda

Migration, which became a central issue for the EU following the Syrian civil war in 2011, has once again emerged as a critical concern due to the rising number of asylum seekers and migrants arriving via the Mediterranean.

According to Frontex, the EU’s border protection agency, irregular border crossings rose by 12% in 2023 compared to the previous year.

The EU's Migration and Asylum Pact, proposed in 2020 and adopted in 2023, aims to more equitably distribute migration burdens among member states and strengthen border controls.

However, human rights organizations have raised alarms that the new regulations could violate international refugee and human rights laws by extending border control measures and keeping migrants in reception centers for extended periods.

Basak Yavcan, a senior researcher at the Migration Policy Group, highlighted the importance of Schengen to the EU, stating: “The suspension of Schengen, as seen in Germany, is a significant blow to the EU project.”

“Free movement is foundational to the EU,” she stressed.

The researcher warned that member states' growing reliance on border controls is problematic, especially with the increasing influence of far-right political parties.

She noted: “Far-right parties’ agendas are shaping mainstream politics, causing a cycle of anti-immigration sentiment.”

Emmanuel Comte of the Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy (ELIAMEP) pointed out the role of migration policies in the rightward shift in the European Parliament after the 2024 elections.

He predicted that restrictive measures targeting low-skilled migration are likely to continue.

Anastasia Karatzas, an analyst at the European Policy Centre (EPC), warned that internal border controls could undermine the EU’s Single Market and its free movement principles, leading to significant economic consequences.

She further noted: “The implementation of strict border controls poses fundamental risks to Schengen’s capabilities and the broader potential of European integration.”

*Writing by Merve Berker in Ankara