Remember “Free Movement”? EU countries don't

Revealed: How the “borderless EU” became an empire of borders - years before COVID

Montage © Facts4EU.Org 2021

A Sunday Facts4EU.Org exposé of the EU’s broken Schengen zone – “one of the greatest achievements”

Part of the enduring and entirely false Remainer-Rejoiner narrative involves a rose-tinted impression of a wonderfully-free bloc where people can move around freely, crossing internal borders without passports.

This has not been true for years, even before COVID-19. Facts4EU.Org exposes the hypocrisy of the EU’s insistence on a “laws-based” approach for the United Kingdom, while its own member countries have consistently broken EU law with impunity.

Specifically today, we show how the EU’s precious Schengen Zone has been fractured and dysfunctional for years, and the reality of the situation today. This contrasts with the EU’s obsession over the Northern Ireland border which is due to come to a head next month.

Here is how the EU presents the Schengen Zone today

Brexit Facts4EU.Org Summary

How the EU ideologues' fantasies have hit the hard borders of reality

The EU's Schengen Zone fantasy
This is our map of how the EU presents the Schengen Zone
(click here for the official version)

The EU's Schengen Zone in 2021 reality
And this is the reality, based on the actions of EU countries

Which countries are in the EU’s Schengen Zone?

Ireland is now the only country to have an opt-out, which it gained by virtue of the United Kingdom opting out. Of the remaining 26 member states, 22 are full Schengen members, with Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, and Romania being legally obliged to join the area when the EU says they can. In addition, the four EFTA states of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland also participate in Schengen.

The Schengen code is a fundamental part of one of the EU’s “Four Freedoms”, as it involves free movement.

Maps created by the Facts4EU.Org team, using mapchart.net

The French were the first to break the Schengen Zone

It may not surprise readers to learn that France was the first country to break the Schengen Zone. In 2006 they closed the land border with Spain as a result of Basque youth protests in South-West France.

This is event is included in the EU Commission’s official list of “Member States’ notifications of the temporary reintroduction of border control at internal borders”.

312 official breakages of the EU’s Schengen Zone in the last 15 years

The official list now contains 312 notifications, most of which concern numerous borders between EU member countries.

If the imposition of border controls listed each border separately, the number would be in four figures. For example, the latest notification is from Finland. It covers Finland’s internal borders with the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Greece, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Norway, Portugal, France, Slovenia, Sweden, Denmark and Estonia. One notification, affecting 15 other EU member countries.

It is important to note that these border controls are not only physical, they include flights or boats entering Finland from any of the countries listed. When looking at the EU’s official list it is also important to note something of direct relevance to the United Kingdom in its ongoing battles with the EU Commission.

Breaking the EU’s Schengen law first, then getting legal permission after the event

Facts4EU.Org’s investigations have revealed that many instances of border controls going up across the EU were only reported to the EU Commission later. In other words’ these countries broke the Schengen rules first, then obtained a legal dispensation after the law had been broken. Worse still, these legal dispensations could only be for a period of 3-6 months. In many cases they were extended, and extended again, by the countries involved.

Despite this, the EU contains to maintain its fantasy of being a “rules-based organisation” and it applies this bogus principle rigorously in every aspect of its dealings with the United Kingdom. Naturally this hypocrisy applies across a wide range of EU laws as we have reported many times before, on numerous topics.

This was all happening way before COVID-19

We know that a large number of Remainer-Rejoiners will respond on social media (without reading this report) by saying that it is not surprising that border controls have had to be introduced, because of the COVID crisis.

The reality is that Schengen was broken well before COVID was even heard of. Facts4EU.Org last reported on this way back in February 2019.

For Remainer-Rejoiners who doubt this, here are the facts, directly from the EU Commission

Since 01 May 2021 (less than three months ago), the Schengen Agreement has been broken 10 times.

Only three of these were for COVID-19
Seven of these were for other reasons (terrorism, large illegal immigration, organised crime, etc)

[Source: EU Commission, 15 Aug 2021]

STOP PRESS : (Press coverage)

Our report above was given excellent coverage in an article in the Daily Express today.

To read their article click here.

Observations

The EU’s idealistic Schengen rules have been destroyed by reality

The effects of uncontrolled mass migration caused by Angela Merkel's government and the increased threat from terrorists now resident in the EU has made Schengen virtually unworkable. When the EU refers to 'border controls' being extended, it means that the borders in question have had to revert to being normal, hard, international borders, and that Schengen has failed.

Indeed, the EU Commission's own new "Covid pass" which is now being taken up by all members makes a mockery of the idea of travelling seamlessly from one country to another, to say nothing of the borders being thrown up by member countries in response to terrorism, high numbers of illegal migrants, and other reasons.

When the EU claims to be a ‘rules-based organisation’ it clearly isn’t. When the EU tells the UK it must obey the rules, why should it? No-one else does.

Facts4EU.Org and you

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[ Sources: EU Commission ] Politicians and journalists can contact us for details, as ever.

Brexit Facts4EU.Org, Sun 15 Aug 2021

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Reader Comments 11

1. Lucy, Norfolk , Sunday, August 15, 2021, 08:06:

Excellent. We need as many people as possible to read your reports. They are consise and full of official facts. Shame Sky BBC and ITV never seem to cover any of this.

2. Have you Wondered , Sunday, August 15, 2021, 08:09:

The Wiki page "Schengen Area Stays in excess of 90 days" makes an interesting read and appears to back up this article with 7 member states imposing restrictions "Internal border controls reimposed in 2010s and 2020s"
Also of note, under 'Stays in excess of 90 days'
"Asylum seekers who request international protection under the Geneva Convention from a Schengen member state are not issued a residence permit, but are instead issued, within three days of the application being lodged, an authorisation to remain on the territory of the member state while the application is pending or being examined. This means that, whilst their application for refugee status is being processed, asylum seekers are only permitted to remain in the Schengen member state where they have claimed asylum and are not entitled to move freely within other states which compose the Schengen Area."
Interesting subject.
You might like my factual but lighthearted spoof to follow.

3. Have you Wondered , Sunday, August 15, 2021, 08:14:

From the Wiki page mentioned above ' asylum seekers are only permitted to remain in the Schengen member state where they have claimed asylum and are not entitled to move freely within other states '
EU Stars Episode 10 The Chicken Come Home to Roost.
VDL is sitting in her Berlaymont office still looking for the defence contracts on her two phones and stops to take a zoom call from Michel Barnier about the migrants.
“Barny! wie gehts? How’s your presidential campaign?”
“Ursula – I have some serious news, we’re about to get swamped with migrants. “
“How so? I’ve enough on my plate with Poland, Hungary, internal fights in Brussels - well – everyone really - let alone Target2 – don’t ask”
“Ursula – this is serious. There’s a tidal wave of migrants looking for asylum heading our way from Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria . Lucky Lukashenko is encouraging them to cross into Lithuania. May I suggest a 5 yr pause on immigration? We’ll never cope with it all – far to many. It’ll exacerbate the black economy and drive down wages let alone the security issue – don’t want to think about that one!”
VDL puts down her PAP meat sandwich.
“Oh – Mmm - How do we stop them?”
“Well – we used some of the £192m that the UK gave us over the last 7yrs to stop the migrants crossing the channel and gave €35m to Lithuania to build a wall to stop Lukashenko piling the migrants across the border.”
“Where did Lucky get the idea to push the migrants our way – I mean – this is a security issue and economic invasion by proxy.”
“Ah – Ursula” says Barny, – “Lukashenko is doing to us what we did to the UK ! Ursula - I think the chickens are coming home to roost”

4. James Wrongnomics , Sunday, August 15, 2021, 08:59:

As we all thought. Excellent reporting

5. Have you Wondered , Sunday, August 15, 2021, 09:00:

Perhaps a bit 'off topic' but what a twist that the UK has taken in 600 (probably economic) refugees in one day this week but
there are countless true asylum seekers in Afghanistan who have put their lives at risk in helping the Western forces who we have turned our backs on, to face pretty certain unpleasant death?
Have You Wondered if UK politicians feel as ashamed as I do?

6. Edward Hubbard , Monday, August 16, 2021, 00:11:

“Free movement” is about the right to live and work in other EU countries, it’s got nothing to do with the Schengen area, which is about passport free travel.

7. Mannie - Stoke , Monday, August 16, 2021, 07:01:

No Edward (comment 6), the EU says it's also about the freedom of 'unfettered movement' which clearly doesn't exist in the EU with all the border controls.

8. Diane , Wednesday, August 18, 2021, 16:33:

(5) above: We should not feel ashamed. This has been debated at length in Parliament today & initial proposals made by the UK government. UK proposals even as they stand today 18/8, although rubbished already by the Opposition(s), far exceed those of other nations presently being reported, who are no doubt weighing up their own situations and making difficult decisions too. The UK already has resettled Interpreters & families under an existing scheme, the latest figure I read was around 3300 with many others to be protected no doubt soon now this crisis has emerged. We also resettled 20.000 Syrian refugees between 2014/2021 reportedly the largest number of many other countries.

9. Slide , Friday, August 20, 2021, 16:48:

8. Against worldwide advice, we went in to the Iraq war & even after discovering no WMDs, we stayed on for 2 decades. We were the cause of what we're only now witnessing but knew would come eventually, We should feel ashamed. Shame on those who don't feel ashamed - aln incalculable loss of life just so some people could divert national funds to themselves & create even more Talibans to fight. For shame.

10. James Davidson , Monday, August 23, 2021, 02:05:

Surely this article disproves the brexiters argument that the EU was trying to make the EU one nation - prove me wrong.

11 comments, page 1 of 2

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