There is more explicit xenophobia and less in the actions of European governments, even if the existence of structural racism coincides in all of them. The rise of the extreme right has found in anti-immigration the first response of the majority of European capitals, even if the formulas are varied: from the hardening of the discourse of Pedro Sánchez to the more radical rejection of the extreme right Viktor Orbán, who now threatens to pay for the bus tickets to Brussels for asylum seekers in protest against the fine imposed for violating the right to asylum. At the same time, border controls, which until 2015 were practically anecdotal within the Schengen area, are multiplying.
The latest “provocation” of the Orbán government towards the European Union was embodied by the Hungarian Secretary of State for the Interior, Bence Rétvári, during an appearance in front of the yellow buses of the public company Volanbusz in Röszke-Brüsszel, the route that Budapest wants to follow. to finance asylum seekers on Hungarian soil. “If Brussels wants illegal immigrants, let it keep them,” proclaimed the leader of the ultranationalist Executive.
This challenge responds to Hungary’s refusal of the distribution of refugees proposed by the migration pact concluded a few months ago – and which envisages the possibility for governments to pay 20,000 euros for each person rejected – and coincides with Budapest’s fight with the EU over the fine of 200 million euros (to which will be added one million for each day of non-payment) imposed in June for the violation of the right to asylum during the refugee crisis caused by the war in Syria.
“This is unacceptable,” the European Commission responded to Orbán’s threat. “If this action is taken (…), it would be a flagrant violation of European law,” said Interior Ministry spokeswoman Anitta Hipper, who assured that the community government would use the “powers” at its disposal against this action. In the first instance, they are in contact with Budapest to prevent it from moving from words to actions.
But not only has this provoked the anger of the Community Executive, but the Belgian government, which would be the main one affected by this increase in the arrival of migrants from European soil, has filed a complaint against Orbán, who has already exhausted the patience of his partners of the 27th. “Belgium will not allow access to these politically instrumentalized migratory flows. We must work together for a fair, humane and effective migration policy,” declared the Belgian Secretary of State for Asylum and Migration, Nicole de Moor.
Beyond Orbán’s fiery rhetoric, the anti-migration discourse permeates the EU, where there has been a hardening of policies that seems to have culminated in the immigration pact that the 27 will begin to implement soon, but that many governments want to transfer even with the proposal that asylum seekers await the resolution of their application in centres outside the EU, as Giorgia Meloni agreed with Albania and that Up to 15 countries defended themselves in a letter sent to the European Commission.
German border controls
At the same time, the reintroduction of border controls within the Schengen area is starting to become a regular trend. Germany, which had set up specific border controls with France, Poland, Switzerland and the Czech Republic, for example, has announced that it will introduce them at all land borders in order to “reduce irregular immigration”. The decision by the tripartite government of socialists, liberals and greens coincides with the historic victory of the far right in the elections in the state of Thuringia and comes in a context of heated debates following last month’s knife attack in the west of the country.
Interior Minister Nancy Faeser, a Social Democrat, met with opposition Christian Democrats and state leaders on Tuesday to discuss immigration policy, during which she said she would present “ways to effectively carry out deportations.” Hours later, representatives of the conservative CDU declared the negotiations broken off, saying the government’s proposed measures did not go far enough. Specialist organisations have expressed concern about the measures taken by Olaf Scholz’s leadership.
The previously anecdotal checks are increasing
Seven other countries have now introduced border controls. Germany, Italy, France and Austria directly invoke migration flows to justify the temporary abolition of the free movement established by the Schengen Agreement. Norway, Denmark, Sweden and Slovenia camouflage it by explaining the geopolitical “risks” linked to the Russian threat or the war in Gaza.
The European Commission limits itself to saying that it is a “necessary” and “proportionate” measure and that it is currently evaluating it (however, Germany has already been on the list of temporary border controls since September 16). And what it does not reveal is how many requests for controls have been rejected in recent times.
In recent years, these controls have multiplied. Since 2022, more than 70 of them (the majority of those implemented) have been justified by the increase in migratory flows. Of the 441 authorisations to establish controls since 2006, the main reason was related to closures due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The first time they were activated by migratory movements was during the refugee crisis of 2015 and 2016. Until then, the activation of this tool was residual and linked to major events, such as leaders’ summits, visits by the Pope or football championships. Terrorism is also one of the common reasons for current requests and specific requests that occurred at the beginning of the century, such as the closing of borders in Norway after the ultra-attack on the island of Utoya or the controls imposed by France in the fight against ETA.
