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While internal borders in the Schengen zone have largely reopened in time for summer holidays, there is a sense they could quickly close anew. COVID-19 presents the biggest challenge yet to the Schengen system, and offers a warning for the future of the border-free zone, as a new Migration Policy Institute Europe commentary explains. ‘If left unchecked, the future scenario for the Schengen zone may well be a continued pendulum swing between two forces: knee-jerk, unilateral border closures in response to threats, and a return to an EU-led coordination effort once the threat subsides’, the authors write. ‘Each swing to the extreme further erodes the foundation of the Schengen system and the commitment of members to upholding their collective commitments to the principle of free movement’. The reflexive reintroduction of border controls speaks to an inherent lack of trust between Member States on key policy domains, including migration management and the safeguarding of public health. Yet trust can be regained, and policymakers can draw on the lessons of the 2015-16 migration and refugee crisis to begin to do so, MPI Europe Director Hanne Beirens and colleagues Susan Fratzke and Lena Kainz write. Among the tools they can use: improving the reliability and rapidity of data- and information sharing between Member States when managing crisis-related issues, and real-time monitoring of Member State capacity. For more, you can find the commentary here: www.migrationpolicy.org/news/post-covid-prospects-border-free-schengen-zone. Wishing you a safe, happy summer,
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MPI Europe provides authoritative research and practical policy design to governmental and nongovernmental stakeholders who seek more effective management of immigration, immigrant integration, and asylum systems, as well as better outcomes for newcomers, families of immigrant background, and receiving communities throughout Europe. MPI Europe also provides a forum for the exchange of information on migration and immigrant integration practices within the European Union and Europe more generally. For more, visit www.mpieurope.org. |
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