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IMMIGRATION

Calls mount for France to bring back its borders

The French government insists its borders will stay open but after Germany's decision to ditch the Schengen system, pressure is mounting for France to take the same step. One expert on migration told The Local it "would be the stupidest thing to do".

Calls mount for France to bring back its borders
Should France restore its borders like Germany? Photo: AFP

France's far right rejoiced at the weekend when Germany announced it was closing sections of its borders. No sooner had the decision been made than Marine Le Pen was demanding France follow suit.

Her call for France to tear up the Schengen rules which allows for free travel within the EU and restore controls along its border with Germany was swatted aside by interior minister Bernard Cazeneuve who dismissed the suggestion as “stupid”.

But it’s not just predictable calls from the likes of Le Pen that are pressuring the Socialist government to take action amid the ever-worsening migrant crisis.

On Monday Nicolas Sarkozy’s centre-right party also called for “provisional” re-establishment of France’s borders until the EU comes up with an adequate solution for dealing with huge influx of refugees from the Middle East and North Africa.

Sarkozy himself has received plenty of pats on the back this week as he has long demanded the end of the Schengen system in order to protect France's ailing social system.

Claude Guéant, the former Interior Minister under ex-president Sarkozy, was the latest to demand controls be reinstated along France’s borders, blaming German Chancellor Angela Merkel for encouraging migrants to come to Europe.

Interior Minister Cazeneuve and others argue the fairly low number of refugees coming from Germany means there is no point in France restoring controls along the lengthy border.

Cazeneuve has pointed out that most migrants and refugees still prefer to head to Germany or the UK than France.

Pierre Henry director of France’s OPFRA organisation, which handles requests from asylum seekers, also says that refugees aren't suddenly heading from Germany to France.

But those in favour say that with Germany now effectively sending out the message that “we’re full”, the refugees will aim for France instead.

And until recently French public opinion has been very much against the country following the example of Germany in taking in thousands of refugees.

François Gemenne, specialist on migration from Sciences-Po's Centre of International Research told The Local he wouldn't be surprised if the Socialist government buckled, but that it would undoubtedly be the wrong thing to do.

“I can see France bringing back border controls but it would be the stupidest thing to do,” he said. 

“It would be shooting yourself in the foot. The reason why people want borders closed and the end of Schengen has nothing to do with the reality of the refugee crisis in France, but the way Schengen rules are perceived,” he said.

“It would only be to appease public opinion and let the public believe that they won’t be invaded by a huge wave of migrants heading their way,” Gemenne added. “It’s just symbolic.”

“It would clearly not solve the problem. The refugees are in Europe and they will continue to come, you can’t just close the door and tell your neighbour to take care of them.”

Gemenne says the fact Sarkozy has urged Schengen to be scrapped may actually be the only reason why President François Hollande declines to do so.

“It would look like he was following Sarkozy's orders,” said Gemenne.

While officially France called for the Schengen agreements to be “scrupulously” respected by all EU countries the reality is that Paris has done anything but, at least when it comes to its border with Italy.

With most refugees and migrants entering France from Italy, French authorities have long been implementing controls to try to stem the tide, with the result being that hundreds have been taken back across the border.

According to the latest figures, last week alone around 800 foreigners were arrested for being in France illegally, two thirds of whom were taken back across the border.

Gemenne says much now will depend on what Germany does next, but if Berlin continues to ignore Schengen, then it may spell the end of borderless Europe for the foreseeable future.

 

 

 

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IMMIGRATION

France ‘will not welcome migrants’ from Lampedusa: interior minister

France "will not welcome migrants" from the island, Gérald Darmanin has insisted

France 'will not welcome migrants' from Lampedusa: interior minister

France will not welcome any migrants coming from Italy’s Lampedusa, interior minister Gérald Darmanin has said after the Mediterranean island saw record numbers of arrivals.

Some 8,500 people arrived on Lampedusa on 199 boats between Monday and Wednesday last week, according to the UN’s International Organisation for
Migration, prompting European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen to travel there Sunday to announce an emergency action plan.

According to Darmanin, Paris told Italy it was “ready to help them return people to countries with which we have good diplomatic relations”, giving the
example of Ivory Coast and Senegal.

But France “will not welcome migrants” from the island, he said, speaking on French television on Tuesday evening.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has called on Italy’s EU partners to share more of the responsibility.

The recent arrivals on Lampedusa equal more than the whole population of the tiny Italian island.

The mass movement has stoked the immigration debate in France, where political parties in the country’s hung parliament are wrangling over a draft law governing new arrivals.

France is expected to face a call from Pope Francis for greater tolerance towards migrants later this week during a high-profile visit to Mediterranean city Marseille, where the pontiff will meet President Emmanuel Macron and celebrate mass before tens of thousands in a stadium.

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