France extends internal border controls until April 2025; What travellers to Schengen area need to know

France will maintain internal border controls until April 2025 due to terrorist threats and irregular migration concerns. These controls with neighboring Schengen countries were originally set to end in October 2024. The move follows nearly a deca...

By ET Online | Oct 22, 2024, 04.59 PM IST

France has announced its decision to maintain internal border controls until April 30, 2025, due to heightened terrorist threats and concerns over irregular migration. The French authorities formally notified the European Commission that border controls with neighboring Schengen countries—Belgium, Spain, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Germany, and Italy—will not conclude on October 31, 2024, as initially scheduled.

The extension follows the country's ongoing concerns over public safety. France's current border control measures will end on October 31, 2024, and a new set of controls will take effect from November 1, 2024. The decision comes amid threats related to terrorist activities, the presence of criminal networks involved in illegal migration, and migration flows that could potentially include radicalized individuals.

Reasons Behind the Extension

French officials pointed to irregular crossings along the Channel and North Sea as part of the motivation behind this move. Additionally, rising incidents of violence among migrant communities in northern areas such as Dunkirk and Calais have been cited as key concerns, impacting both migrants and law enforcement personnel.

This decision marks nearly a decade of such controls in France. Initially introduced in December 2015 following the Paris terrorist attacks, border controls have been repeatedly extended under different circumstances, including the recent Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Since 2015, France has informed the European Commission of nearly 20 extensions related to various security concerns.

Legal Framework and Guidelines

Under the Schengen Borders Code (SBC), EU Member States are permitted to impose temporary border controls in exceptional circumstances. While these controls are meant to be last-resort measures, France has repeatedly justified extensions under security threats. Although prolonging these measures is allowed under the SBC, they typically should not exceed a period of six months.

Government's Stance on Security

France's newly appointed Interior Minister, Bruno Retailleau, has pledged tougher measures to manage irregular migration. "The French people want more order in the streets, order at the borders," Retailleau said. He expressed concerns that the country could face overwhelming migratory flows, emphasizing a stricter approach to border management.

Retailleau’s statements come as Europe faces broader migration challenges. Frontex, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, reported 166,000 attempted irregular border crossings at the EU's external borders from January to September 2024. Although this figure represents a 42% decrease compared to the same period in 2023, countries like Austria, Germany, Norway, and Denmark have similarly introduced or reinforced border controls in response to ongoing migration pressures.

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