On Friday 15 March, 85 civil society organisations called on MEPs to reject the “harmful recast of the Schengen Borders Code”.
On 19 March, when they are due to validate the agreement reached with the EU Council on 14 February (see EUROPE 13350/30, 13345/18), associations such as ENAR (European Network Against Racism), Amnesty International and Oxfam believe that this reform will have “devastating consequences for people of immigrant background and racialised communities, and will create a dangerous new system for ‘managing migration’ at the Schengen borders, increasing the criminalisation of movements and solidarity”.
The proposal “generalises police controls with the explicit aim of preventing irregular migration”. However, “the questioning of people suspected of being undocumented relies heavily on racial profiling. While the recitals of the reform state that all actions must be carried out in full compliance with the principle of non-discrimination, there is no indication of how this will be monitored or ensured”.
With regard to the immediate transfer of third-country nationals apprehended in border areas to the neighbouring country, any appeal lodged by the migrant concerned will not have suspensive effect.
And “there are no exemptions to this procedure for unaccompanied children, families with children, or individuals in a state of vulnerability”.
The rapporteur, Sylvie Guillaume (S&D, French), had to provide an answer.
Link to the call: https://aeur.eu/f/bck (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)