"Schengen is an extremely topical subject", said Corinne Cahen in her opening address to the Conference on 30 years of the Schengen Agreement in Belval
Corinne Cahen, Minister for Family Affairs and Integration, Belval, on 7 October 2015
On 7 October 2015, the European Migration Network (EMN), the European Commission, the University of Luxembourg and the Immigration Department of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs organised a conference in Belval (Luxembourg), under the auspices of the Luxembourg Presidency of the Council of the European Union. The title of the conference was: '30 years of the Schengen Agreement. The future of Schengen: challenges and opportunities'. Many European experts and civil society representatives talked about the contributions made by Schengen, and the future outlook for the agreement, particularly in the context of current challenges relating to border management and illegal immigration.
In her opening address, Corinne Cahen, Luxembourg Minister of Family and Integration, emphasised that 'Schengen is an extremely topical subject'. She made reference, in particular, to 'the mass influx of migrants and immigrants' to Europe, and the reactions by some Member States 'who are in the process of closing their borders to some extent'. 'What will become of free movement within Europe?' asked the Minister.
Corinne Cahen then touched on the EPSCO (Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs) Council of 5 October 2015. 'We spoke to the Council about migrants and the challenges involved in these influxes', she said. The Minister noted that it was Italy and Greece that were most affected by these influxes, since those countries have external borders and many people seeking international protection arrive there.
With regard to the countries of Eastern Europe, 'their ministers have told us that they are also experiencing a massive influx of migrants, but that the migrants are not requesting international protection there, because they want to go to Germany, Sweden, and other countries', said the Minister. For example, of the 200 000 people who arrived in Austria in September, only 10 000 have remained, she said.
Corinne Cahen also pointed out that temporary reinstatement of border controls 'runs counter to the essence of Schengen'. In her view, Europe has 'a shared responsibility' to help the countries experiencing a mass influx of migrants and 'to distribute these people across the whole of Europe'.
The Minister also welcomed the spirit of solidarity shown by civil society in reaction to the arrival of the migrants. Nonetheless, she drew attention to the need to find answers to 'people's fears'.
'My predecessors had enormous courage, 30 years ago, when they signed this agreement, and I think that today we must have the same courage and show the same solidarity, and continue along the path of free movement of people and goods', said Corinne Cahen. She stressed the importance of harmonising asylum and immigration policy in the EU, 'in the spirit of Schengen'.
Finally, the Minister stressed the need to see refugees as individual human beings. 'These people each have their own dreams and stories', she said.
'The Schengen Agreement, which currently covers 26 EU Member States and several States which are not members of the EU (Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein - editor's note), and which applies to 400 million European citizens and to many other people who are not EU citizens, is now part of the daily lives of European citizens', noted Rainer Klump, rector of the University of Luxembourg. He stressed the need to discuss the future of Schengen in view of the many challenges currently faced by the EU.
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