France has announced that it will extend its internal border controls until April 30, 2025, citing ongoing terrorist threats and issues related to irregular migration. The French government has informed the European Commission that controls at its borders with six neighbouring Schengen countries—Belgium, Spain, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Germany, and Italy—will continue beyond the initial end date of October 31, 2024.
Instead of ending the current measure, a new one will begin on November 1, 2024, ensuring that border controls remain in place. French authorities have expressed concerns about serious threats to public safety, including terrorism, organized criminal networks that facilitate irregular migration and smuggling, and fears that migrant flows may be exploited by radicalized individuals.
The authorities also highlighted the ongoing issue of irregular crossings along the Channel and North Sea borders. Violence among migrants, particularly in areas like Dunkirk and Calais, is leading to dangerous situations for both migrants and law enforcement officers. This increase in violence is another key reason for maintaining strict border checks.
This is not the first time France has taken such steps. Border controls were originally introduced in May 2024 to manage security during the Olympic and Paralympic Games in the summer of that year. However, France has been reintroducing and extending border controls for almost a decade. The first reintroduction occurred after the Paris terrorist attacks on November 15, 2015. Since then, the French government has notified the European Commission nearly 20 times about extending the border control measures for various reasons.
Under the Schengen Borders Code (SBC), EU member states are allowed to introduce temporary border controls as a last-resort option in exceptional situations. Although border controls are only supposed to last for six months at a time, France has repeatedly extended this period, most recently citing threats to national security.
Newly appointed Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau has also promised to take tougher measures to curb irregular migration, responding to growing public demand for increased security at the borders. According to Retailleau, the French people want more order both in the streets and at the borders.
While migration flows into the EU have decreased, with Frontex data showing a 42 percent drop in irregular border crossing attempts compared to 2023, concerns remain high. From January to September 2024, there were 166,000 attempts to cross the EU’s external borders illegally. Several other countries in the Schengen Zone, including Austria, Germany, Norway, and Denmark, have also introduced or reintroduced border controls in response to these migration challenges.