The European Union has prepared a proposal that will enable member states to include border controls as a last resort in migration and health crises, and the proposal also includes decisions that would make the Schengen area stronger.
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EU Commission Vice-President Margaritis Schinas and Commissioner for Internal Affairs Ylva Johansson explained the new regulation at a joint press conference.
The new regulation is based on the actions of the Belarusian administration and lessons learned from situations such as “using migrants as a political tool” or closing borders between member states due to the coronavirus epidemic.
The changes are intended to allow for greater coordination between member states.
Under the new rules, member states will have alternative means at EU borders before they can implement their own internal border controls.
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These methods will include more frequent and practical police checks in border areas, facilitating the transit of workers working across the border, and facilitating the passage of essential goods.
Member countries will be able to implement national border controls only after all methods have been exhausted, and they will prepare a risk analysis report for a period of 6 months.
The Member State that has implemented national controls for 18 months will inform the Committee of the reasons for this and request comments.
Member states will be able to impose restrictions on border crossings and increase border controls in cases where migrants are exploited.
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Asylum applications can increase the registration period from 3 to 10 days to 4 weeks and are only accepted at the border with the exception of medical requirements.
More than 420 million people also live within the Schengen area, within the external borders of the European Union.
Within the free movement of people and goods without national border controls, up to 1.7 million people live in a Schengen country but work in another country, and it is known that 3.5 million people cross the Schengen border every day.
The European Union wants to protect the region by changing Schengen border rules, which have been hit by recent migration and health crises.
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Last week, the Commission prepared a draft law for police forces in EU countries to conduct more cross-border cooperation, information sharing, and joint operations with each other.
The proposals prepared by the EU Commission will also be examined by the European Parliament and the European Council and accepted if deemed appropriate.
