THE INDEPENDENT: Rules on free movement within Europe in doubt after crisis caused by influx of refugees from North African unrest
The leaders of France and Italy yesterday called for an overhaul of the system of passport-free travel across 25 European nations following alarm in Paris over the effect of a wave of migrants fleeing conflict in North Africa.
The Italian premier, Silvio Berlusconi, and French President, Nicolas Sarkozy, said they wanted new border restrictions in a notable watering down of the aims of the 1995 Schengen deal for free movement of people across most of continental Europe.
The pair issued their demand at a summit in Rome designed to repair relations between the two countries that had been damaged by the dispute over the fate of many of the 28,000 people who have fled political turmoil in North Africa. Most of those landed first on the Italian island of Lampedusa, creating a humanitarian and political crisis that the Italian authorities attempted to solve by diverting many to France, prompting a furious response from its north-western neighbour. Mr Berlusconi yesterday acknowledged the greater burden faced by France after the exodus triggered by the revolt in Tunisia, the first nation to topple its leader in the wave of unrest sweeping the Arab world. In another sop to France, Italy hours earlier also agreed to play a role in bombing Gaddafi forces in the French-inspired Libyan campaign.
The leaders detailed their demands in a joint letter to the EU, and said they were working on proposals to change Schengen. Both Mr Berlusconi and Mr Sarkozy – who faces a presidential election in a year's time – are under pressure from right-wing parties to adopt a tough line on immigration.
"We want Schengen to survive, but to survive Schengen must be reformed," Mr Sarkozy told reporters after the meeting. "We believe in free circulation but we believe in a state of law and a certain number of rules." » | Michael Day | Wednesday, April 27, 2011
