The Schengen Borders Code (SBC) provides Member States with the capability of temporarily reintroducing border control at the internal borders in the event of a serious threat to public policy or internal security.
The reintroduction of border control at the internal borders must be applied as a last resort measure, in exceptional situations, and must respect the principle of proportionality.
The duration of such a temporary reintroduction of border control at the internal borders is limited in time, depending on the legal basis invoked by the Member State introducing such border control.
The scope and duration of reintroduced border control should be restricted to the bare minimum needed to respond to the threat in question. Reintroducing border control at the internal border should only be used as a measure of last resort.
The reintroduction of border control is a prerogative of the Member States. The Commission may issue an opinion regarding the necessity of the measure and its proportionality but cannot veto a Member State’s decision to reintroduce border control.
Notifications of the Temporary Reintroduction of Border Control
Current Temporarily Reintroduced Border Controls
| Country | Duration | Reasons/Scope |
|---|---|---|
| Germany | To be confirmed | Heightened security requirements for UEFA EURO 2024 to counter football-related threats (hooliganism), in addition to risks flowing from the global security situation (Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, instability in the Middle East, and general terrorist threats); all internal borders (land, air, and sea). |
| Austria | 17/04/2024 - 16/06/2024 | Persistent threat situation in connection with the extremely unstable migration and security situation in the EU, high migratory pressure on the migration routes towards Central Europe, extensive secondary migration, increase in migrant smuggling along the illegal migration routes, security risk from terrorist threats via the smuggling routes, increased risk following the events in the Middle East; border with Czechia. |
| Norway | 12/05/2024 - 11/11/2024 | Increased threat to critical infrastructure, Russian intelligence operations threatening Norwegian exports of gas or military support to Ukraine; ports with ferry connections to the Schengen area. |
| Austria | 12/05/2024 - 11/11/2024 | New threat situation in connection with the extremely unstable migration and security situation in the EU, pressure on the asylum reception system, high migratory pressure at the EU’s external border to Türkiye and the Western Balkans, threat of arms trafficking and criminal networks due to the war in Ukraine, human smuggling, the security implications following the Hamas attack on Israel on 7 October 2023, the terrorist attack in Brussels on 17 October and numerous terror warnings and threats in the EU Member States, the rise of anti-Semitism in Europe, the risk of criminals and terrorists infiltrating migration flows; borders with Slovenia and Hungary. |
| Denmark | 12/05/2024 - 11/11/2024 | Terrorist threat relating to the conflict between Israel and militant groups in Gaza and the Quran desecrations in 2023 which created a renewed focus on Denmark as a prioritised target among militant Islamist groups; threat from espionage from Russian intelligence; may extend to all internal borders, with a focus on the Danish-German land border and Danish ports with ferry connection to Germany. |
| Germany | 12/05/2024 - 11/11/2024 | Increase in irregular migration and migrant smuggling linked to the developing situation and living conditions in migrants’ countries of origin, as well as Russia’s ongoing war of aggression against Ukraine and the security situation exacerbated by terrorist groups, particularly in the Middle East, strain on the asylum reception system; the land border with Austria. |
| Sweden | 12/05/2024 - 11/11/2024 | The attack on Israel by Hamas on 7 October 2023 and the Israeli offensive in Gaza which have increased tensions in Sweden and in other Member States, increased risk of serious violence and attacks motivated by Anti-Semitism, serious threat to public policy and internal security; may extend to all internal borders (exact borders to be determined). |
| France | 01/05/2024 - 31/10/2024 | The Olympic and Paralympic Games organised in France during the summer 2024, which substantially increase the risk to national security, an intensified terrorist threat, the Moscow attack of 22 March 2024 claimed by the Islamic State, constant migratory pressure at the Schengen external borders, significant increase in irregular crossings especially from Türkiye and North Africa, pressure on the reception system; internal borders. |
| Austria | 03/04/2024 - 02/06/2024 | High migratory pressure and increase in apprehensions in the Western Balkans, extensive secondary migration, pressure on the asylum reception system, threat of human smuggling; border with Slovakia. |
| Germany | 16/03/2024 - 15/06/2024 | High level of migrant smuggling activity, the impact on security and migration in the Schengen area due to the security situation in the Middle East; land borders with Poland, Czechia and Switzerland. |
| Italy | 19/01/2024 - 18/06/2024 | Increased threat of violence within the EU following the attack on Israel, risk of possible terrorist infiltration into irregular migration flows from the Balkan route; land border with Slovenia. |
| Slovenia | 22/12/2023 - 21/06/2024 | Threats to public order and internal security in the EU, the situation in the Middle East and in Ukraine, recent terrorist attacks in some Member States, increased security risks due to organised crime in the Western Balkans, including people smuggling, risk of infiltration in mixed migration flows; internal borders with the Republic of Croatia and Hungary. |
Foreseeable cases (Article 25 and 26 of the codified SBC)
For foreseeable events (e.g. sports events), the duration of the border control is limited to 30 days or for the foreseeable duration of the threat, if it exceeds 30 days.
If required, the reintroduction of border control can be prolonged for renewable periods of up to 30 days. The total period shall not exceed 6 months.
The Member State shall notify the Commission and other Member States at least 4 weeks before the planned reintroduction of border control. An exception of this notification period is made, if the circumstances giving rise to reintroduced border control become known at a shorter notice.
Cases requiring immediate action (Article 28 of the codified SBC)
Where immediate action needs to be taken to adequately respond to a threat, a Member State may reintroduce border control for 10 days without prior notification.
The Commission and the Member States must be informed of such decisions immediately.
While the reintroduction can be prolonged for periods of up to 20 days, the overall period of border control shall not exceed 2 months.
Cases where exceptional circumstances put the overall functioning of the Schengen area at risk (Article 29 of the codified SBC)
In exceptional circumstances, where the overall functioning of the Schengen Area is put at risk as a result of persistent serious deficiencies relating to external border control, and insofar as those circumstances constitute a serious threat to public policy or internal security, the Council may, based on a proposal from the Commission, recommend that one or more Member States decide to reintroduce border control at all or at specific parts of their internal borders.
Such a recommendation shall only be made as a last resort and as a measure to protect the common interests within the Schengen Area, where all other measures, in particular those referred to in Article 21 of the Schengen Borders Code, are ineffective in mitigating the serious threat identified.
Related documents
- Full list of Member States' notifications of the temporary reintroduction of border control at internal borders pursuant to Article 25 et seq. of the Schengen Borders Code
- List of authorised border crossing points notified to the Commission after reintroduction of internal border control