Terror alert and the tendency towards a temporary suspension of the Schengen Agreement

Translated by Valeria D’Alessandro

It has been well established that the current international crisis could lead to dangerous escalations not only in the Middle East but also in Europe. European and national leaders are carefully monitoring the situation at the moment.

The specter of Islamic radicalism appears to have returned: following two attacks in France and Belgium, the government have raised the alert levels both nationally and in surrounding areas.

Particularly alarming are reports surrounding the Brussels attacker; the reconstruction of his movements in the past few years depict a concerning image of the fragility of the European reception system. Despite his asylum application being denied, he was able to move freely across various EU’s countries. As a consequence, some countries have adopted more cautious and restrictive policies as a general orientation[1].

The natural consequence of these directions was the decision by some EU states to close their borders, resulting in the suspension of the respective rules of the Schengen Agreement[2].

The Agreement, which currently comprehends 27 Countries (23 EU’s members), was made to guarantee free movement of the citizens within the area, eliminating internal borders and creating a whole external one[3]. However, as a precautionary measure, more than 11 Countries have temporarily suspended this agreement.

Among them is Italy, which has been the only country to provide justification for its decision so far: in the official communications implications stemming from the Israeli-Palestinian conflict are citated[4], thus realizing the reinstatement of controls at the border with Slovenia. This last decision, refers the domestic affairs minister Piantedosi[5], was essential for the safeguard of the Country and to address issues arising from the uneven management of migrant flows.

The aforementioned choices underscore how the issue is closely related not only in terms of security but also politically to the migration crisis. This issue has gained significant prominence in public discourse in recent weeks, once again highlighting several fractures and questions that have already been widely debated[6].

However, the situation appears to be highly fluid rather than temporary and could undergo further changes based on the developments in the Middle East crisis.

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[1] https://it.euronews.com/2023/10/17/caccia-alluomo-in-belgio-dopo-lattentato-a-bruxelles-il-ricercato-e-un-45enne-di-origini-t

[2] https://it.euronews.com/my-europe/2023/10/19/leuropa-si-chiude-gia-dieci-paesi-hanno-reintrodotto-controlli-alle-frontiere

[3] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/IT/legal-content/glossary/schengen-agreement-and-convention.html#:~:text=La%20convenzione%20di%20Schengen%20completa,entrata%20in%20vigore%20nel%201995.

[4] https://www.governo.it/it/articolo/reintroduzione-dei-controlli-delle-frontiere-interne-terrestri-con-la-slovenia-nota-di

[5] https://www.ansa.it/sito/notizie/cronaca/2023/10/21/piantedosi-settemila-da-slovenia-nel-2023-altri-forse-passati_3d8d4be3-913d-44c4-83b4-c790e38a8e53.html

[6] https://www.rainews.it/articoli/2023/10/unione-europea-verso-unintesa-sui-migranti-via-il-punto-sulle-ong-c68b38fa-4da4-4242-8920-a5bc30746763.html