European borders are closing due to various reasons such as ongoing crises in Eastern Europe and the Middle East, increasing migratory pressures, and the risk of terrorist infiltration. This is a stark contrast to the promise of European integration, which included the abolition of borders and free movement of people, goods, and capital. The Schengen zone, formed by a treaty among several European countries, once symbolized liberal internationalism but is now a symbol of Europe’s migration crisis and the backlash against globalization.
The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 almost derailed the opening of Europe’s borders as envisioned in the Schengen treaty. The sudden destruction of Europe’s most symbolic border exposed the risks of free movement that ultimately led to the return of checkpoints in Europe. The events of 1989, including mass protests and the surge of East Germans into West Berlin, disrupted the Schengen treaty making, highlighting the complexities of abolishing borders.
The main point of contention during the negotiations of the Schengen treaty was German reunification. The proposal to declare East Germany as not a foreign country in relation to West Germany sparked debates as it would extend Schengen’s frontier eastward and possibly increase the risk of irregular immigration. The European Commission warned about the fragility of the Schengen agreement as the exodus from Eastern Europe grew, leading to concerns about the guarantee of free movement surviving.
Despite fears and doubts, the signing of the Schengen treaty finally took place in June 1990, completing an agreement that had originated in 1985. However, the treaty included provisions for security measures and the ability for Schengen countries to temporarily reinstate internal border checks as needed. The treaty also recognized the reunification of Germany, but it kept Schengen’s outer frontiers closed to migrants from the Eastern bloc, indicating restrictions on free movement.
The fall of the Berlin Wall symbolizes the challenges of maintaining free movement in a world where the risks of open borders are increasingly perceived as threatening. Today, Schengen’s vulnerability is evidenced by the chaos of Europe’s border measures. Schengen’s frontiers are expanding to include countries that were once behind the Iron Curtain, while internal borders are becoming hardened as a response to the perceived ills of globalization. This trend suggests that Schengen may be facing a gradual demise.
