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Schengen: new checkpoints

01 May 1994

The lifting of the internal borders controls under the Schengen arrangement has led to a French-Dutch police initiative to maintain checks to search for "illegal" immigrants. "Schengen" does not allow any systematic controls on the borders, so the police and Koninklijke Marechaussee have come up with a creative solution. On several of the major border crossings, a vehicle is semi-permanently posted near the border with a watchful observer equipped with binoculars in it. This officer alerts his colleagues waiting a little further down the road on motorcycles, who then stop and inspect the car and its passengers.

In a press presentation in late April, journalists were shown how the alert officer could spot approaching vehicles that appeared to warrant closer inspection by noticing number plates, state of the automobile and nature of the occupants. Yes, the colour of the skin did play a role in this process, as a helpful marechaussee officer explained to inquiring journalists. Though it is mostly people from Eastern Europe and the former USSR countries without a visa were stopped and returned.

Cooperation between French and Dutch border control services has been intensified with the posting of a permanent Dutch "anti-crime team" in Paris to liaise with French authorities. Also, French border control officials and Dutch marechaussees now work routinely on each other's territory on board of international trains, where they check the status of travelling aliens in an attempt to intercept those without a visa while they are still in the country of departure.

Statewatch contributors (Brussels & Amsterdam)