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| The Schengen Zone, in blue (future nations in green) image via Wikipedia |
By Jamie Douglas
The turmoil in North Africa and the Middle East have brought about a rethink of the Schengen Zone, that area in the European Union that allows citizens of the member states to travel freely between the signatory countries.
More and more of the EU has been overrun with refugees from the various conflicts, as well as economic refugees from Africa, many of whom actually trudge across the Sahara desert on foot. With the ensuing economic impact, this is creating a backlash from the citizens of some European countries as the influx of all these migrants is causing grave problems for the EU countries most affected. Much of the problem emanates from Greece which, sharing a porous border with Turkey, is being invaded by refugees from as far away as East Asia.
With the already fragile economic situations encountered by the PIIGS, (Portugal, Italy, Ireland, Greece and Spain), right wing nationalist forces are at work all over Europe to stop immigration, checked or unchecked.
A few months ago, the French government made headlines when they rounded up a bunch of Roma Gypsies, and unceremoniously deported them to Romania to calm the brewing storm within the right wing party, National Front (FN), formerly led by Jean Marie Le Pen, and now by his youngest daughter Marine Le Pen, who in her own right is a brilliant lawyer and debater.
She is widely believed to have a good chance of unseating French President Sarkozy in the coming French presidential elections with her message of anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim phobia. France, one of the earliest colonial nations, is now paying the price for its exploitation and abuse of the colonies. In order to subjugate the people in the colonies, they made them all French citizens, and now they all want to come “home,” to a home where they are neither needed nor wanted.
Just last week, the Italian government issued temporary Schengen residency documents to a few hundred trans-migrants that they wanted to get rid of, and put them on a train to France, which got as far as Ventimiglia, at the border with France. The train was not allowed to pass, causing a major diplomatic incident between Paris and Rome. Many of the refugees were from North African nations embroiled in their respective civil wars. And most of those on the trains wanted to get to France because they had friends and family there that they hoped would be able to facilitate their integration into the social fabric by just disappearing into the ethnic slums that have sprung up all over the big French cities.
Paris’ refusal to allow them into the country was in clear violation of the Schengen accord that was to allow all people with valid documents to cross all borders between signatory countries without any formalities. Both Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi of Italy and French President Nicolas Sarkozy, and now, Angela Merkel of Germany as well, have publicly stated that they wanted to abandon the Schengen accord and re-establish migratory checks at their borders, something that would affect travelers from all nations, and might actually be beneficial to the nomadic traveler, as one would assume that it would also do away with that 90 day limitation on staying in the combined Schengen area. It could mean a return to “the good old days,” where internationalists with their own means of support could migrate from country to country in Europe for years without running into the migratory brick wall called Schengen.
Several other countries have recently been affected by a massive influx of poor migrants who have become a source of irritation and racism that right wing parties from most Western European nations are trying to exploit, some with more success than others. The violent attacks against Romas in several Eastern European nations also show that popular support is behind the efforts to zip the borders shut again, only allowing for commerce to pass the borders freely, and a return to the times when any person of color could be challenged on the street with the famous old: “Your papers, please!”
Back when the Euro zone was formed, it was a different world, and a lot of what has happened with the realization of a common currency and open borders has proven to be much more difficult to manage than the original founders envisioned in their idealism. Trying to model a united European zone that consists of many different ethnic and cultural varieties is not as easy as founding the USA. In the USA, people from all over Europe came together to rid the continent of those bloodthirsty redskins, declare manifest destiny, and settle the continent.
Stay tuned for changes in the wind, as elections in various parts of Europe are sure to have a great effect on open travel as well as restricted stays in the Schengen countries.
As Rodney King once so famously said: “Can’t we all just get along?” Obviously not! I think the world is not yet ready for full integration between the haves and the have-nots, as those who have don’t want to share with those who are less fortunate, those who were not born as white middle class Western Europeans.
see also:
see also:
The Economist, Thursday, April 28
First the euro, now Schengen. Europe’s grandest integration projects seem to be suffering
Jamie Douglas
Patagonia
I encourage you to write to me, jamie@expatdailynews.com with any questions or suggestions you may have, and if necessary, we can establish a voice communication via Skype. Disclaimer: I am not in any travel related business. My advice is based on my own experiences, and is free of charge. (Donations accepted). It is always my pleasure to act as a beneficial counselor to those who are seekers of the next adventure.
Jamie Douglas is an Adventurer, Writer and Photographer with an amazing array of Nikon equipment, and a lifetime of experience traveling and documenting. To contact him for assignments and new adventures, email: jamie.douglas [at] yahoo.com
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