Search Results for: Schengen

Schengen dispute continues

As an agreement on the EU budget for 2014-2020 finally takes shape, the on-going dispute about the Schengen Convention remains unresolved. At a Council meeting on June 7th 2012, the European Union’s home affairs ministers unanimously decided to establish a new Schengen Evaluation Mechanism in response to concerns about border security, which became particularly acute… [Read More]

Schengen enlargement shaping up for March 2012

Earlier this week, Finland announced it no longer opposes Bulgaria and Romania’s accession to the Schengen zone in 2012, providing their entry is managed in two-phases. No doubt in pre-Eurozone crisis days Finland’s decision to drop their veto would have been closely analysed, but the fact that it has only captured limited attention should not be… [Read More]

Shackled by Schengen – time for a policy rethink?

The civil strife in North Africa is having a dramatic effect on one of the EU’s most ambitious, yet controversial, policies – the Schengen agreement. With unprecedented numbers of migrants arriving at its southern borders, the EU must revamp its Schengen policy or risk fuelling tensions between member states.

EU Schengen Shambles

So far, 2011 is not proving to be a very decisive year for the EU. A month of mulling over Hungary’s untimely media clamp-downs, a series of vague statements urging ‘dialogue’ as the protests in North Africa escalate, and now, dithering over what to do with Romania and Bulgaria’s accession to the EU Schengen zone… [Read More]

The EU-Turkish refugee agreement solves very little

At a summit this weekend EU leaders and the Turkish prime minister Ahmet Davutoglu agreed a deal on asylum and Turkish access to Europe. Turkey will try to slow numbers travelling through to Greece and accept those economic migrants the EU returns to Turkey, in exchange for €3bn and enhanced visa-free movement rights for Turkish citizens to… [Read More]

Cameron’s decision to take in more Syrian refugees is welcome but late

For weeks Prime Minister David Cameron has been arguing that allowing more refugees from the Middle East and Africa into the UK would encourage even more arrivals. His stance was that the focus should be on dealing with the cause of instability in the region by trying to encourage a political settlement in Syria. The… [Read More]

Lack of asylum cooperation with Germany could make the Calais border much worse

The number of asylum seekers attempting to enter Britain from Calais isn’t a problem caused by UK membership of the EU. If all 28 members were unconnected but economically similar, or joined by a looser EFTA arrangement, Europe would still be seen as safe and attractive to those fleeing conflict. This means that, after Brexit,… [Read More]

Commission migration proposal faces criticism but are there any alternatives?

The European Commission yesterday published its plan to address the complex issues of asylum seekers dying while attempting to cross the Mediterranean and the distribution of migrants across European countries. In correspondence with tackling this humanitarian crisis, the Agenda on Migration aims to address both the long-term root causes of the migration crisis and to… [Read More]

There is truth in Greece’s open borders warning

The stability of the Greek state’s finances remains vulnerable this week, as Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis confirmed repayment of €430m (£330m) to the International Monetary Fund on Thursday, narrowly avoiding default and bankruptcy once again. However, this commitment came with the warning that payment means Greek civil servants’ wages and pensions were not covered, with… [Read More]

A bold suggestion to address the European immigration issue

Malik Azmani, an MP of the ruling party in the Netherlands, the People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD), published a bold proposal last Sunday to shut all external European borders for non-EEA immigrants and to provide safe havens in their regions. All Dutch parties except Geert Wilders’ far-right Party for Freedom (PVV) condemned the… [Read More]