European Council Adopts Recommendation for Border Controls' Prolongation

The recommendation presupposes that temporal border controls could be prolonged in several EU nations in exceptional circumstances.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The European Council has adopted a recommendation on Thursday, implying a prolongation of the temporal border control in several EU nations in exceptional circumstances, the EU body said in a statement.

"Starting from the date of the adoption, Austria, Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Norway should maintain proportionate temporary border controls for a maximum period of six months…," the statement read.

The EU member states should consult with their neighbors before introducing border control to be sure that such measures "considered necessary and proportionate" and are in "accordance with the Schengen Borders Code," the statement added.

Europe has been beset by a massive refugee crisis, with hundreds of thousands of undocumented migrants fleeing their crisis-torn countries of origin to escape violence and poverty. Amid the massive refugee inflow to Europe, a number of EU state, such as Germany, Norway, Sweden and Denmark, reintroduced temporary border controls within the Schengen area in a bid to deter undocumented migrants.