Earlier this month, the French government announced the reintroduction of border checks on land, air, and sea routes, effective November 1 and set to last at least until April 2025.
This decision was communicated to the European Commission and six neighboring countries: Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, and Spain. French officials cited “serious threats to public policy, public order, and internal security” as the rationale behind this move, highlighting concerns over high-level terrorist activities, the presence of criminal networks facilitating irregular migration and smuggling, and the risk of radicalized individuals infiltrating migration flows.
The reimposition of border checks has taken many by surprise, particularly as travelers have grown accustomed to the relative freedom of movement within the European Union’s Schengen Zone.
While France has reinstated border checks multiple times since the establishment of the Schengen Zone in 1995, these measures have usually been localized to specific routes.
The current decision marks the most extensive reintroduction of border controls in the country’s history, affecting all borders simultaneously.
Prime Minister Michel Barnier, a member of the conservative government, announced the measures via social media, stating that the public “expects us to have an effective policy to control immigration.”
However, this statement has been met with skepticism from rights organizations, which argue that France has repeatedly violated EU law by implementing certain internal border controls since 2015.
They point to the Schengen Borders Code, which stipulates that such controls should not exceed six months unless a “new serious threat to public order” is identified.
Critics of the government’s approach assert that France is misusing border controls under the guise of security, particularly since the country has tightened its borders several times following the 2015 terror attacks.
This move has sparked concerns over the potential for significant delays at checkpoints and the possibility of backlogs among cross-border travelers.
The announcement from France follows similar actions taken by Germany earlier this year. On September 16, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s government announced the restoration of temporary controls on all land borders, aiming to curb irregular migration.
Since that announcement, vehicles have continued to cross borders relatively freely, with only random spot checks or targeted inspections being conducted.
Travelers are reminded to carry valid identification, such as a national identity card or EU passport, when crossing borders.
In France, Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau has been vocal about the need for stricter immigration policies, linking rising terrorist threats and the proliferation of criminal networks involved in illegal immigration to public order and internal security issues.
Retailleau recently outlined measures aimed at enhancing and systematizing the removal of foreign nationals deemed likely to pose a threat to public order.
As the government moves forward with its plans, many are left questioning the balance between national security and the principles of free movement that have long defined the European Union’s Schengen Zone.
The full implications of these border checks, both for travelers and for the broader security landscape in Europe, remain to be seen as the situation develops.
