Marking the 40th anniversary of the 1985 Schengen Agreement, Metsola told Polish Press Agency (PAP) that freedom of movement was “sacred” to her and a reminder of “the struggle to make borders disappear”.
“When we see member states introducing internal checks, we are concerned,” she said. “We ask for reasonable solutions, an explanation for such decisions, and the swift implementation of the migration and asylum pact adopted by Parliament last year.”
The package, agreed after years of deadlock, aims to strengthen the EU’s external frontiers while distributing responsibility for irregular arrivals across the 27-nation bloc.
“I believe that if member states look at this pact as something that can help both internal and external borders, closing borders will no longer be the instinctive response,” she added.
Polish reservations
Warsaw’s new government has voiced doubts about elements of the pact, notably a mandatory solidarity mechanism that would require countries to accept relocated migrants or pay into a common fund.
Asked about Poland’s stance, Metsola said she understood the country’s security concerns but also the position of states that feel unable to cope alone with migration pressures.
“We are now working on the returns directive, and I hope that, once we have the full picture, cooperation among member states will be excellent,” she said.
Checks multiply
About a dozen Schengen members currently maintain temporary controls. Germany reinstated checks on its frontiers with Poland, the Czech Republic and Switzerland in October 2023 and has kept controls on the Austrian border since 2015.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said in parliament this month that Warsaw is “very likely” to introduce partial checks on the German border later this summer.
The Schengen zone today comprises 25 EU countries plus Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein, covering more than 400 million people.
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Source: PAP