France reinstates border controls from November 1

From November 1, 2024, France will be reintroducing border controls with its Schengen neighbors. This step backwards will run until the end of April 2025. Why this change of direction? Internal security is at the heart of this decision. The French authorities point to serious threats, such as terrorism and illegal immigration, to justify these measures.

Checks will not be systematic, but random. This means that not everyone will pass through, but delays will be inevitable. In particular, those arriving by road or rail from countries such as Belgium, THE Luxembourg or theItaly will have to be patient. Passengers using the Eurostar could also face longer waiting times at passport controls.

For non-Schengen tourists, such as BritishThis could mean long queues and a less pleasant travel experience. This could discourage some people from visiting France during this period.

Reaction was swift. Luxembourg's Prime Minister, Luc FriedenIn discussions with Emmanuel Macron and Olaf Scholz, he did not mince his words, describing the controls as a "bad idea".

Despite the criticism, the European Commission cannot block this decision, but insists that such measures must be proportionate and temporary.

This French initiative comes at a time when the European Union has postponed the launch of its entry/exit system (EES), originally scheduled for November 10, 2024. This system was intended to automate checks on non-European citizens entering the Schengen area. However, technical problems and a lack of preparation delayed its implementation.

Will travel professionals be affected?

The travel industry will have to adapt. Airlines, bus and rail companies will probably have to adjust their schedules to take account of longer border crossing times. This is likely to have a negative impact on tourism in France, a sector already weakened by the pandemic.

Migration experts are skeptical about the real effectiveness of these measures in reducing migratory flows. Studies show that deterrence policies have little impact on the actual number of arrivals in European countries.. No additional documents are required at this time.

Inspired by Germany? Since September 16, 2024, Germany has also introduced controls at all its land borders, including those with France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Belgium and Denmark, for the same reasons. The controls are scheduled to last six months, until March 15, 2025.

• France

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