BRUSSELS — Chipping away at European unity, the EU proposed revamping its unique system of unfettered cross-border travel yesterday, bowing to the stresses generated by a flood of North African immigrants.
The EU Commission suggested reintroducing temporary national border checks “under very exceptional circumstances’’ after France and Italy had demanded changes to the so-called Schengen system, which erases many internal European borders for citizens and travelers.
EU Home Affairs Commissioner Cecilia Malmström said these checks could take place when “part of the external border comes under heavy unexpected pressure.’’
She did not say if that includes the current situation in Italy, which has struggled to cope with more than 25,000 illegal immigrants this year, mostly from Tunisia, which overthrew its dictator in January.
The Schengen system developed from humble beginnings in 1985 to into a “borderless’’ zone spanning 25 nations today. But there has been criticism, mostly from conservative and right-wing forces, that it has helped illegal immigrants travel around easily.
Mediterranean border nations such as Greece, Italy, Spain, and Malta have also complained that the 27-nation EU has dumped its immigration issues and the costs of dealing with illegal immigrants on their backs.
Read More
http://www.boston.com/news/world/europe/articles/2011/05/05/eu_rethinks_border_policy_over_flood_of_immigrants/
The EU Commission suggested reintroducing temporary national border checks “under very exceptional circumstances’’ after France and Italy had demanded changes to the so-called Schengen system, which erases many internal European borders for citizens and travelers.
EU Home Affairs Commissioner Cecilia Malmström said these checks could take place when “part of the external border comes under heavy unexpected pressure.’’
She did not say if that includes the current situation in Italy, which has struggled to cope with more than 25,000 illegal immigrants this year, mostly from Tunisia, which overthrew its dictator in January.
The Schengen system developed from humble beginnings in 1985 to into a “borderless’’ zone spanning 25 nations today. But there has been criticism, mostly from conservative and right-wing forces, that it has helped illegal immigrants travel around easily.
Mediterranean border nations such as Greece, Italy, Spain, and Malta have also complained that the 27-nation EU has dumped its immigration issues and the costs of dealing with illegal immigrants on their backs.
Read More
http://www.boston.com/news/world/europe/articles/2011/05/05/eu_rethinks_border_policy_over_flood_of_immigrants/
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