With Germany ramping up border controls earlier this month and other EU countries contemplating stricter migration rules, the Schengen zone of free movement – and no internal border checks – seems to be crumbling.
German police are investigating a group of suspected human traffickers at a time of growing pressure from illegal immigration in the European Union.
Although Germany is a member of the European Union’s Schengen free movement zone, the country will impose border controls with France from July 26 to August 11 due to the Olympic Games in Paris.
German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser met with her Romanian counterpart to discuss the countries’ cooperation on migration and asylum. As part of efforts to fully join the borderless Schengen zone, Bulgaria and Romania have recently made progress in protecting the EU’s external borders.
After more than ten years of waiting: Bulgaria and Romania have been given the green light to join Europe’s free-travel Schengen area by air and sea from March 2024. However, some restrictions will remain in place.