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The European Commission has urged several Schengen countries to begin phasing out temporary internal border controls, arguing that stronger external-border tools and new migration rules should reduce the need for routine checks inside Europe’s passport-free travel area.
The move follows Commission opinions on internal border controls maintained by Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Sweden and Norway.
These controls were introduced or prolonged in response to concerns over terrorism, organised crime, irregular migration, smuggling networks and wider geopolitical instability.
Schengen is built on the principle of travel without internal border controls. However, EU rules allow member states to reintroduce checks temporarily where there is a serious threat to public policy or internal security.
The Commission accepts that many of the current measures were introduced in response to legitimate security and migration concerns, but stresses that they must remain exceptional, proportionate and time-limited.
The issue has grown more sensitive as several European governments have used internal checks for extended periods. Germany, for instance, has maintained some form of border control on parts of its frontier almost continuously since 2015.
Current Commission data also shows internal controls operating in countries including Germany, France, Italy, Slovenia, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands, Austria, Poland and Switzerland, although not all fall within the latest set of opinions.Brussels argues that the policy environment has changed.
The EU’s Entry/Exit System, which became fully operational in April 2026, replaces manual passport stamping with digital records for non-EU short-stay travellers, including biometric data.
The Commission says the system strengthens monitoring of who enters and leaves the Schengen area and helps detect overstayers, identity fraud and security risks.
Migration pressure has also eased, according to Frontex. The EU border agency reported that irregular border crossings into the bloc fell by 40% in the first four months of 2026 compared with the same period in 2025, with just over 28,500 detections recorded.
The Central Mediterranean and Eastern Mediterranean routes remained the busiest, while the Western African route recorded the sharpest fall, down 78%.
Another factor is the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum, which starts applying on 12 June 2026 after a two-year transition period. It is designed to create a more uniform system for screening, asylum procedures, responsibility-sharing and returns.
The Commission is not abolishing the right of states to reintroduce internal checks in exceptional circumstances. Nor is it changing general Schengen access rules for travellers. Rather, it is signalling that prolonged internal controls should be replaced, where possible, by targeted police checks, regional cooperation, mobile biometric tools and stronger external-border management.
For Schengen, the message is clear: security remains a priority, but borderless travel should remain the rule, not the exception.
