Is Schengen Stable? Are Internal Border Controls Reintroduced?

At the end of January, the EU ministers met in Amsterdam to discuss steps that will allow the reintroduction of the national border controls for a period of two years. This let many people question the future of the Schengen Agreement that has been allowing people to travel passport-free across 26 states.

The serious refugee crisis has challenged Europe to make a point as the Schengen Agreement is cracking under the strain of the migrants who are arriving from Africa and the Middle East. That is why temporary border checks can be extended under the Schengen Agreement for a period of two years. In order for that extension to happen, however, the leaders of the European Union should agree that the serious and constant deficiencies in the Schengen external borders control is put into danger.

Currently six Schengen members including Austria and Germany, Sweden and Denmark, France and the non-EU member Norway, were forced to resort to reinstating temporary border checks, that will operate in the passport-free area. It is expected these measures to be valid until May.