The new interior minister Bruno Retailo promises strict border control
France will check by air, land and water all traffic entering its territory from neighboring countries due to a “security threat”. With this, the Schengen member state is extending the border controls already in place until at least April 1, 2025 – a move that seriously tests the future of the free travel area.
French authorities have informed the EC that controls with neighboring countries – Belgium, Spain, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Germany and Italy – will not end on 31 October 2024 as originally planned. The previous reason Paris introduced the restrictions from May 1 to October 31 this year. were the Olympic and Paralympic games in the summer.
Soon after assuming the role of interior minister, Bruno Retaillo promised that he would impose tougher measures to stop illegal migration. He based his intention on the will of the French, who wanted control.
The EC’s Schengen Borders Code allows EU member states to temporarily restore border controls at internal borders “in the event of a serious threat to public order or internal security”. However, it notes that this measure should only be used as a last resort. In its explanation to the EC, France points to “the serious threats to public order and internal security posed by high-level terrorist activities”.
She also points out
increasing presence of criminals networks,
facilitating illegal migration and smuggling. It highlights the danger of “migration flows where there is a risk of infiltration by radicalized persons”, as well as the “illegal crossing” of borders through the English Channel and the North Sea. Finally, it states “increasing violence among migrants, especially in northern coastal areas such as Dunkirk and Calais, leading to tense and dangerous situations”.
The data of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency “Frontex” indicate that from January to September at the external borders of the EU,
166 thousand illegal attempts to pass
at the border. This is a 42% drop from the same period in 2023. Despite the efforts, concerns over illegal migration have led a number of other Schengen countries to reintroduce border controls. Austria, Germany, Norway and Denmark are among the countries with similar measures.