European borders ‘to shut’ in migrant crisis

Schengen ‘no passport’ zone could be axed for two years

EUROPE’S border-free travel zone could be suspended for two years amid a warning from the French prime minister that mass immigration could kill the entire EU project.

Officials will meet on Monday to discuss suspending the Schengen Agreement – ripping up one of the EU’s most sacred rules.

The tumult triggered demands from Tory MPs for David Cameron to seize the moment and increase his own demands in Britain’s EU referendum negotiations with Brussels.

Eurosceptics said that, with borders being reimposed across the continent, now was the time to demand Britain

‘The very idea of Europe is in doubt’

should be able to impose its own limits on free movement. On a day of drama across Europe:

Mr Cameron admitted he could drop his demand for a four-year ban on migrant benefits if Europe offers an alternative;

The Czech PM said Britain could be offered a so- called emergency brake instead, allowing temporary limits on EU workers;

A poll showed the UK’s referendum race remains neck and neck – with stay on 52 per cent and leave on 48 per cent;

EU figures showed 1.25million migrants arrived last year;

Turkey promised German chancellor Angela Merkel it would do ‘everything it could’ to stem the tide of migrants;

The Slovenian PM warned there would be ‘conflicts’ between EU member states unless the crisis was brought under control.

Some 26 countries removed border controls between each other under Schengen, but this unrav- elled as the migrant crisis took hold. Yesterday, French PM Manuel Valls told the BBC: ‘It’s Europe that could die, not the Schengen area. If Europe can’t protect its own borders, the very idea of Europe could be thrown into doubt.

‘It could disappear – the European project, not Europe itself, not our values, but the concept we have of Europe.

‘That is in very grave danger. That’s why you need border guards, border controls on the external borders of the European Union.’

He appeared to blame Mrs Merkel for declaring Germany would welcome 1million migrants, adding: ‘If you say anything in Europe today, a few seconds later it is on the smartphones of people in refugee camps near Libya.’

Nine nations have al r eady requested temporary border controls and yesterday it was revealed ministers are considering suspend-

‘A very strong position’

ing the border-free zone for up to two years.

In Amsterdam on Monday, interior ministers will for the first time look at invoking an emergency clause to bring back checks for a prolonged period – if leaders agree that there are ‘systemic deficiencies’ in the control of the borders.

Tory MP Peter Bone said: ‘We should have complete control of our borders and be able to let in exactly who we want. I hope that David Cameron is hammering this argument home in Brussels.’

Tory MEP David Campbell Bannerman said Mr Cameron was now in ‘a very strong position to demand fundamental change’.

But, on a visit to Prague yesterday, the PM gave no indication he will be more ambitious. Czech PM Bohuslav Sobotka played down the prospect of the UK securing a fouryear ban on migrants claiming ben- efits from their arrival in the UK. Instead, Mr Cameron may have to rely on EU legislation which allows a temporary brake on migration if it is ‘destabilising’ public services.

Mr Cameron insisted the fouryear proposal was ‘ still on the table’, but said he would welcome alternative proposals.

But Tory MP Steve Baker, who chairs Conservatives for Britain, said: ‘The British people want their government to be able to control numbers, not shut the gate when the horse has already bolted.’

The Swedish and Dutch PMs warned the EU had only weeks to avoid its demise.

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