Immigration: Germany closes borders, Hungary “threatens” Brussels – 2024-09-11 02:03:17

Response Brussels: Irini Zarkadoula

With difficulties and obstacles, the new commissioner for migration is called to start his term, before he is even officially appointed, with the problems intensifying from within the EU.

Germany’s decision to impose internal controls on its land borders by locking the EU and Schengen is causing confusion and reactions.

Only when deemed necessary

This option exists as a possibility, replies the Commission, which has received information from Berlin which it is evaluating, but only when it is deemed necessary, it is a proportional measure and strictly emergency.

The responsible representative of the Commission, Anita Hipper said that “according to the Schengen Borders Code, Member States can reintroduce internal border controls to deal with a serious threat to public order or internal security, when this is necessary and proportionate . The European Commission is in contact with the German and Schengen authorities and we are working closely with the member states that have internal controls in place.”

The German authorities have informed the Commission that the Federal Police cooperates with the authorities of neighboring countries on the basis of a wide range of cross-border police cooperation agreements with neighboring countries, including joint patrols and joint police and customs cooperation centres.

Existing internal land border controls with Austria are expected to continue until November 11, with Poland, the Czech Republic and Switzerland until December 15, 2024. Border controls with Denmark, France will also start from September 16 , Luxembourg, Belgium, the Netherlands and will last until March 15, 2016.

Hungary’s threats are “unacceptable”.

At the same time, the Commission characterizes as “unacceptable” Hungary’s threats to send migrants to Brussels by bus.

Belgium’s foreign minister, Haja Lahbib, and a candidate for commissioner who is rumored to be given the home affairs portfolio which includes immigration, spoke of a “challenge that goes against European obligations”.

Shortly before the European elections and essentially at the end of the mandate, the new Pact on Migration and Asylum was adopted, based on the new challenges, among which is instrumentalization. As a European source said, it is much more important to have something on the table than nothing even if it doesn’t magically solve all problems. The new Pact establishes a set of rules that will contribute to the management of arrivals in an orderly manner, to the creation of efficient and uniform procedures, but also to ensuring a fair distribution of burdens between Member States.