Virus and migrant worries spur EU to toughen border rules

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union on Tuesday launched a major revamp of the rules governing the movement of people and goods into and around Europe as coronavirus restrictions and fears over a “hybrid attack” from Belarus using migrants are placing increasing strains on its passport-free travel area.

The Schengen area comprises 26 countries — including non-EU nations Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. The removal of border checks between them has been a boon for business, trade and travel.

Almost 1.7 million people live in one Schengen country and work in another, while an estimated 3.5 million people cross an internal border every day.

“The refugee crisis of 2015, the spate of terrorists attacks on European soil and the global COVID-19 pandemic have all put the Schengen area under strain,” European Commission Vice-President Margaritis Schinas said.

“This is a balanced, necessary step. It’s not the end of the story but it’s enough to keep Schengen intact,” Schinas told reporters in Strasbourg, France, as he unveiled the proposals, which must be endorsed by EU countries and lawmakers to take effect.

The Schengen travel zone system has been on the verge of collapse since 2015, when well over 1 million people entered the EU without authorization, mostly Syrians seeking refuge from war. A series of extremist attacks in France, Belgium and Germany also saw countries tighten their border controls.

Things got even worse in early 2020 when the pandemic hit. At least 17 countries in the Schengen zone reintroduced checks in the panic, causing traffic and supply chain chaos.

More recently, Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko's government began inviting people to Belarus, many of them Iraqis, promising to help them get into Europe through the country's borders...