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EU Free Movement in Tatters as France Controls Border for UN Climate Summit

© AP Photo / Winfried RothermelFrench police officers control cardrivers at the borderstation in Strasbourg, France, on Sunday, March 22, 2009. Till the OTAN - summit German and French border controls will take place.
French police officers control cardrivers at the borderstation in Strasbourg, France, on Sunday, March 22, 2009. Till the OTAN - summit German and French border controls will take place. - Sputnik International
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The EU’s freedom of movement policy has suffered another blow with French officials announcing that the country will reinstate border controls in the lead up to the UN Climate Change conference over fears of a terrorist attack.

Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve told BFM TV that controls would be put in place for about a month "in the context of terrorist threats that could come and stain this large international gathering that is carrying a grand message for humanity." 

The UN Climate Change conference will be held in Paris from November 30 to December 11, with 80 heads of state plus tens of thousands of other people to be present in the city at the time.

European Council President Donald Tusk speaks during a final media conference after an EU summit in Brussels on Friday, June 26, 2015 - Sputnik International
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Despite announcing the reintroduction of border controls, Cazeneuve said "it is by no means a suspension of Schengen," in reference to the EU free travel zone where there are generally no border checks.

However, the decision has added to criticism that the EU’s ambitious open border policy is unsustainable, with a number of countries closing off their borders in recent months as a reaction to the refugee crisis.

Critics have argued that the Schengen zone has exacerbated the flow of refugees into Europe, while the open border access has also facilitated the flow of weapons and terrorist activity among EU states.

The Schengen Zone consists of 22 mainland European EU countries plus four non-EU states.

© RIA NovostiThe Schengen Area comprises almost all of Europe.
The Schengen Area comprises almost all of Europe. - Sputnik International
The Schengen Area comprises almost all of Europe.

France’s decision to impose border controls in the lead up to the climate change conference follows similar actions taken by a number of EU states this year, with many countries reintroducing controls to try and stem the flow of refugees and migrants.

Germany, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Denmark and Austria were among those countries that have imposed border controls over the past few months with concerns the EU’s open borders policy is being increasingly undermined by member states concerned about terror and immigration issues.

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