Internal border controls spoil Schengen birthday

LUXEMBOURG (ANP) – It is striking that the criticism of internal border controls is flaring up again now, during the period when it is celebrated that the Schengen Agreement came into force forty years ago. It regulates the free movement of persons and stipulates that passport controls only take place at the external borders of Europe.

According to the Luxembourg minister, the more than 240,000 commuters who come to Luxembourg daily often spend hours in traffic jams due to the internal border controls. Luxembourgers, in turn, are increasingly avoiding the German city of Trier for shopping, as heard by Gloden from the mayor.

The internal border controls have only losers, said Gloden. “I hope that the European Commission, as the guardian of the treaties, shows its teeth.”

The Commission has not yet intervened. According to European Commissioner Magnus Brunner (Migration), the treaty allows member states to carry out temporary border controls, emphasizing the temporary aspect.

“The goal must be that there are no border controls within the Schengen area. Therefore, we need to better secure the external borders. We need to get the European house in order.”

For this, there is the asylum and migration pact, said Brunner. It includes stricter rules for the admission, distribution, and reception of asylum seekers and will come into effect next year.

(June 13, 2025)