Migrant fear after border change
Head of EU border agency says changes will make immigration harder to control.
Saturday, 22, Dec 2007 10:36
The head of the European Union's border security agency has said changes in border zones will make illegal immigration harder than ever to control.
Nine more European countries have joined the Schengen agreement which now enables passport-free travel between 24 countries.
A Schengen visa enables non-EU citizens to visit all states part of the accord after being granted permission to travel by any country.
But the head of Frontex, the EU's external border security agency, said the removal of border posts could hamper the ability of governments to monitor immigration.
Talking to Sky News Online, he explained: "Perhaps the most common modus operandi in terms of illegal immigration are the over-stayers.
"And so far the checks at the internal borders have been a very effective instrument in detecting this kind of cross border crime.
"We don't have this instrument in place anymore and we do not know what these people are doing."
Travellers can now visit 24 countries on obtaining a Schengen visa after Friday's signing of the accord by the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia.
Previously the agreement applied to travel between 15 states: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain and Sweden.
Major Witold Leszko, commander of the Kurczowa border post on the Poland-Ukraine border, said systems were in place to cope with the increased level of security now required after the Schengen zone's expansion.
"One of the conditions was the creation of new border points and the modernisation of existing ones," he said. "Also we had to train and prepare staff.
"We are very confident that we have made all preparations for vehicle crossings.
"We have built new buildings, developed our communications infrastructure and created new space for illegal immigrants."