Security in the European Schengen Area: Critical issues concerning the closure of internal borders

The Schengen Area is widely regarded as one of the most significant achievements of European integration. However, the free movement area has faced numerous challenges in terms of managing migratory flows and security. The so-called “Schengen Borders Code” (CFS) legally allows states to reintroduce internal border controls in specific circumstances or in response to specific needs, particularly security and public order protection. As a result, over the years, some states have formally requested partial or full reinstatement of border controls. The chapter aims to examine some recent emblematic cases in which some states have been able to repeatedly restore internal borders for an extended period (in violation of the Schengen Code’s time limits). The contribution also intends to assess whether and how certain countries have used the rules governing the temporary reintroduction of border controls in the Schengen Area to circumvent the area’s intrinsic purposes