In the first six months of operation of the new EU digital border system, the Entry-Exit System (EES), almost 7,000 travellers were denied entry into Europe's border-free Schengen area because they stayed beyond their permitted time limit, a European Commission report has revealed.
Borders within Europe's Schengen area are meant to be open but several countries have checks in place but are they legal and will they be forced to scrap them? Claudia Delpero explains the history and what's at stake.
German Interior Minister Thomas de Maizière announced on Thursday that Berlin would be extending border controls for a further six months, meaning checks will stay in place in the Alpine region.
German Interior Minister Thomas de Maizière on Thursday said he was opposed to the rapid admission of EU countries like Romania or Bulgaria to the Schengen area without border controls.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Tuesday called for an extension of EU border controls in the passport-free Schengen area beyond a planned end in November.
Germany could lift temporary border controls brought in last year to help stem the migrant flow by mid-May if the number of arrivals continues to dwindle, Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said Tuesday.
Germans appear to be losing faith in the idea of a borderless Europe, as the results of a poll published on Tuesday showed that two-thirds would prefer the government to end the Schengen free-movement zone.
In response to the Brussels terror attacks, the German Interior Minister Thomas de Maizière called on Tuesday evening for stronger European co-operation on exchanging personal data.
Germany's second-largest police union on Tuesday called for the reintroduction of internal European border controls and demanded more personnel to deal with a record flood of refugees.
Germany on Monday said it was open to talks on allowing Romania and Bulgaria into the passport-free Schengen zone,
which has been a delicate subject among European countries.
Weapons and dangerous objects were successfully smuggled through security checks 50 percent of the time at Frankfurt airport, in a probe by European Commission inspectors, it emerged on Sunday.
Germany will veto Romania and Bulgaria joining the Schengen passport-free zone if the two countries push their membership at an EU meeting this week, German Interior Minister Hans-Peter Friedrich warned on Sunday.
German and French plans to reclaim control of their borders have been condemned by German politicians as "right-wing populist rhetoric". The move comes ahead of Sunday's first round vote in the French Presidential elections, in which President Nicolas Sarkozy has been trailing in the polls.
Germany and France began moves this week to reclaim the power to close their borders for up to 30 days, in a simmering battle over immigration in Europe's passport-free Schengen travel zone.
With Denmark poised to reintroduce customs checks at its borders after decades of unfettered travel in Europe, a German state minister has called for people to boycott holidays to the Scandinavian country.
German Justice Minister Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger has sharply criticised Denmark’s decision to reintroduce border controls and demanded EU officials take action against the Scandinavian country.
German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle underlined Wednesday Berlin's objections to Danish plans for permanent customs checks at their internal EU border, after talks with his Danish counterpart.
Germans living in the region near Denmark fear the thriving cross-border trade and traffic will be significantly affected by the re-imposition of border controls recently announced by the Danish authorities.
German Interior Minister Hans-Peter Friedrich on Wednesday defended a controversial plan to restore border controls in Europe's visa-free Schengen area, saying this will make it easier for Romania and Bulgaria to join.
Germany said Thursday it would continue to oppose Romania and Bulgaria joining Europe's visa-free Schengen zone until the two countries had eliminated concerns about endemic corruption.
France and Germany decided Tuesday to block Bulgaria and Romania from joining Europe's borderless 25-nation Schengen area next year, a move denounced by the Romanian president as discriminatory.
