(EU) – A surge in illegal migrants across the porous Greek-Turkish frontier prompted calls for a temporary return of borders in the EU’s visa-free area despite stiff opposition from Brussels. Under proposals mulled by Home Affairs Ministers meeting in Luxembourg, the 26 countries in the travel-free Schengen area could be allowed to restore border controls for up to a year under “exceptional circumstances”.
Migration has emerged as one of Europe’s most sensitive political issues amid Europe’s sovereign debt crisis, slow growth and mounting unemployment.
Migration has emerged as one of Europe’s most sensitive political issues amid Europe’s sovereign debt crisis, slow growth and mounting unemployment. But going into the talks the EU’s Home Affairs Commissioner, Cecilia Malmstroem said: “We cannot accept what is on the table today. “Hopefully (there will be) no decision,” she added.
The EU’s Frontex agency that mans borders said in a report that registered illegal crossings on the outer borders of the Schengen area shot up by 35 percent in 2011. Numbers rose from 104,000 in 2010 to 141,000 the following year, largely due to flows across the Mediterranean from the Arab Spring upheavals. But the second biggest hot-spot was the border between Greece and Turkey, which saw 55,000 detections last year.
