France has announced the temporary reintroduction of border checks at its frontiers, including those with Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Spain, and Italy, citing significant “security threats” as the catalyst for this measure.
The new controls will be in effect from November 1, 2024, until the end of April 2025, coinciding with ongoing discussions among EU leaders in Brussels focused on migration issues.
The Schengen Area, which allows for free movement across borders without routine checks, is a cornerstone of European Union integration, facilitating travel for over 400 million people.
However, France’s decision to implement border controls marks a significant shift in this principle, reflecting growing concerns over public safety and internal security.
In its communication to the European Commission, France emphasized the need for these measures in light of “serious threats to public policy, public order, and internal security.”
The government pointed to a rise in high-level terrorist activities and the increasing presence of criminal networks involved in irregular migration and smuggling.
Furthermore, France highlighted the risks associated with the ongoing irregular crossings in the English Channel and North Sea, as well as the escalating violence among migrant populations in northern coastal areas, notably Dunkirk and Calais.
The European Commission’s Schengen Borders Code permits EU Member States to temporarily reintroduce border controls during exceptional circumstances that pose serious threats.
However, the Commission has urged that such measures should be limited to the minimum duration necessary to address the identified threats. While the Commission can express an opinion on the matter, it lacks the authority to veto the reintroduction of border checks.
France’s decision comes on the heels of similar actions taken by other EU nations. In mid-September, Germany reinstated temporary border checks, particularly at its borders with France and the Netherlands, in a bid to combat irregular migration and cross-border crime.
Austria has also reintroduced checks, citing concerns related to irregular migration routes and the pressure on its asylum system. Denmark plans to follow suit, initiating border checks with Germany starting November 12.
Critics of the border reintroductions have condemned the measures as “racist moves,” expressing concerns over their implications for the right to seek asylum.
Migration experts have warned that such actions could jeopardize the principles of asylum and international protection.
Research conducted by academics, including Omar Cham and Hein de Haas, has shown that stricter migration policies often yield minimal impact on the overall influx of migrants.
Hans Vorlaender, chair of Germany’s expert council on integration and migration, remarked on the symbolic nature of these border controls, suggesting that they serve more as a deterrent rather than a substantive solution. “The signal is deterrence, an attempt to demonstrate the ability to act,” he noted.
As France prepares to reinstate border checks amid rising security threats, the broader implications for EU migration policies and the Schengen Agreement’s integrity remain uncertain.
With a growing number of nations taking similar steps, the effectiveness of such measures and their impact on migrants’ rights will be closely scrutinized in the months ahead.
