EU Countries Close Their Borders

Written by Anthony Constantini

What’s happening: Over the past year, 11 European Union member states — including Germany, Italy, and France — have re-imposed border controls on other member states to reduce waves of illegal migration. So far, it’s working; since Germany introduced new controls, unauthorized entries have dropped by 40 percent.

Why it matters: The timing for these controls is not random. The populist right is ascending in places like Germany, with E.U. parliamentary elections next year, some governments are attempting to look like they’re doing something about migration.

• External closures: Finland recently closed its border with Russia, citing threats to national security. But Russia has not sent soldiers. It allowed 900 migrants into Finland in November.

Finding workarounds: E.U. law says restrictions may not be re-imposed based on migration alone. This leads states to simply argue different reasons for them. For Germany, it’s human smuggling. For Denmark, it’s the war in Ukraine.

Dive deeper: The controls highlight the weakness of EU authorities: they make regulations but cannot force countries to listen. Upcoming elections are proving to be a stronger influence, pressuring governments to reduce migration.

• Another weakness: The situation shows the E.U.’s difficulty reconciling two of its goals: free movement between nations and security. With free movement, anyone, including migrants, can move, threatening national security. Border restrictions address this, but they also weaken freedom of movement.