Freedom of movement in the Schengen area may be abolished because of African refugees
The letter, published on the website of the Elysée Palace, contains the two heads of state's theses on combating illegal migration. Sarkozy and Berlusconi propose stepping up cooperation with the North African region on returning illegal migrants home, whose influx has increased manyfold due to recent events in Tunisia, Libya and Egypt.
The second proposal by Sarkozy and Berlusconi concerns the introduction of a unified migration policy, a unified external border control service for the eurozone, and a unified mechanism for granting political asylum. The French president insists that they be adopted by the end of 2012.
However, the third proposal may be the most resonant. Italy and France advocate the possibility of temporarily restoring controls on internal borders in emergency situations.
A European Commission press service representative assured a Gazeta.Ru correspondent that the Sarkozy–Berlusconi initiative will be reviewed and discussed at an extraordinary meeting of the Council for Home Affairs of EU member states on May 12, more than half of whose agenda will be devoted to migration issues. The press service representative added that the regime of temporary restoration of internal border control has already been used by some eurozone countries during international sporting events and summits.
It is possible that the introduction of an internal border control regime due to extraordinary circumstances may be justified, the European Commission press service representative told Gazeta.Ru, though stipulating that such a decision can only be made with the participation of the European Commission, the European Parliament, and taking into account the opinions of official representatives of EU member states.
Proposals to amend legislation on the possibility of introducing temporary internal border control in European Union countries in emergency situations outside the EU may be ready by summer, notes the European Commission press service representative. In that case, at least on the border between Italy and France, checks will be introduced by the height of the tourist season.
It is unlikely that the Sarkozy–Berlusconi plan will be implemented in full, doubts Vladislav Inozemtsev, director of the Center for Post-Industrial Society Studies. The political scientist believes that the proposals of the Italian and French leaders will not find support among other heads of EU states, primarily Eastern European countries that joined the eurozone quite recently. The proposals are largely of a PR nature and aimed at solving the domestic political problems of both leaders, in whose countries nationalist movements are gaining strength, giving them a reason to boost their ratings with such initiatives, Inozemtsev is certain.
Alexander ARTEMYEV,
Yekaterina VINOKUROVA.
