Changes to Schengen system a last resort, says Barroso

PROPOSALS to reintroduce internal EU border controls are “a measure of last resort” and are to be introduced only on a temporary basis, European Commission president José Manuel Barroso said yesterday.

The Schengen system allows hundreds of millions of people to travel without passports in 25 countries, encompassing huge swathes of continental Europe and non-EU countries such as Norway and Switzerland. Ireland and Britain do not participate.

The commission has proposed the reintroduction of internal checks in Schengen countries in a bid to tackle the problem of illegal migration – particularly from North Africa. However, the EU Socialists and Democrats group has criticised the proposed measure as a kneejerk reaction to illegal immigration.

Socialists and Democrats leader Martin Schulz accused Mr Barroso and home affairs commissioner Cecilia Malmström of “caving in” to demands for an overhaul of the system by French president Nicolas Sarkozy and Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi.

However, Mr Barroso told the parliament that problems with the governance of the Schengen agreement had been identified before the current instability in the southern Mediterranean.

He said people who migrated to Europe did so in search of a better life across the union. As such, it was a problem for the entire union and should not be left to the initial border state to manage.

“When thousands of people arrive on the shores of one country, it is not just because they dream of living in Malta or Lampedusa, it is because they are seeking a better life in Europe.

“Countries that are more directly exposed to massive migrant inflows cannot be expected to deal with them alone. The rules on free movement of citizens benefit all countries in the EU. ”

But he warned a move to a reinforced Schengen system was to be considered only as one of a range of measures to “bring relief to member states which are trying to cope”.

To applause from MEPs, Mr Barroso said he remembered when going from his native Portugal to Spain was a complex business. He said free movement of people within the EU was to the union what foundations were to houses. To remove it was to undermine the entire structure. It was one of the most tangible benefits of the union and it fostered jobs and economic activity.

“It is not about finding a way for member states to reintroduce border controls,” he said, adding that he condemned unilateral action taken in an effort to be “populist”.

The EU had seen attempts “to wave the flag of xenophobia” and these must be “nipped in the bud”.