Several Schengen Countries Reintroduce Border Controls in Context of COVID-19

The health situation caused by the Coronavirus pandemic and its new strains that have outspread in the world, including the continent of Europe, has pushed several Schengen Area Member States to bring back internal border controls in a bid to prevent COVID-19 cases from being imported from outside.

While the majority of the Schengen Area countries had imposed border controls back in spring 2020 during the outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic all over Europe, the same was later removed due to a stable situation at the beginning of summer, the same year.

Yet, with the number of cases reaching the peak in most EU countries, border controls have been brought back by nine EU countries in the context of COVID-19 after the health authorities deemed them as necessary in order to control the situation.

As of February 18, 2021, the following countries have temporarily reintroduced border controls in the context of COVID-19, AtoZSerwisPlus.com reports:

• Austria (February 8 – February 27, 2021), borders with the Slovak Republic and the Czech Republic.
• Belgium (February 6 – February 25, 2021), all internal borders.
• Denmark (November 12, 2020 – May 11, 2021), to be determined but may concern all internal borders.
• Finland (January 27 – February 25, 2021), all internal borders.
• Germany (February 14 – February 23, 2021), land and air border with the Czech Republic, air border with Austria.
• Hungary (January 29 – February 27, 2021), all internal borders.
• Norway (February 10 – March 12, 2021), all internal borders.
• Portugal (February 10 – February 28, 2021), the internal border with Spain.
• Spain (February 10 – February 28, 2021), the land border with Portugal.

Austria extended border controls at the borders with Slovakia and the Czech Republic at the beginning of the month, at a time when the numbers of COVID-19 cases in all three countries were increasing, and the government of Croatia was being accused of damaging the economy with the harsh measures imposed in a bid to contain the pandemic.

Germany, on the other hand, temporarily closed its borders for Czechia and Austria citizens after a surge in the number of Coronavirus infections identified in both countries.

And while Spain initially reintroduced land border controls with Portugal only for a short period, the same was later on extended and is now set to expire on February 28.

In addition, temporary border controls are currently in place in a context different from COVID-19 after being reintroduced by the following countries:

• Norway (November 12, 2020 – May 11, 2021), reintroduced due to terrorist threats, secondary movements, at ports with ferry connections to Denmark, Germany, and Sweden.
• Austria (November 12, 2020 – May 11, 2021) introduced due to secondary movements, risk related to terrorists and organized crime, the situation at the external borders, at land borders with Hungary, and with Slovenia.
• Germany (November 12, 2020 – May 11, 2021) introduced due to secondary movements, the situation at the external borders, at the land border with Austria.
• Sweden (November 12, 2020 – May 11, 2021) introduced due to terrorist threats, deficiencies at the external borders, to be determined but may concern all internal borders.
• Denmark (November 12, 2020 – May 11, 2021) introduced due to terrorist threats, organized criminality threats, to be determined but may concern all internal borders.
• France (November 1, 2020 – April 30, 2021) introduced because of the continuous terrorist threat, the situation at external borders, at all internal borders.