Reintroduction of Border Controls by Netherlands Discussed During Benelux Summit

The temporary reintroduction of border controls by the Netherlands was discussed during the last Benelux summit under the Belgian presidency in 2024.

The Dutch Migration Minister, Marjolein Faber, announced that the Netherlands will introduce land border controls on December 9 in a bid to address irregular migration and tackle human trafficking in Schengen.News reports.

In the meeting of November 26, held between Prime Ministers of the Netherlands, Dick Schoof Luxembourg, Belgium, Luc Frieden, and Belgium, Alexander de Croo, the reintroduction of border controls was in the spotlight.

In this regard, the Prime Minister of Belgium, Alexander de Croo, said that the free movement of goods and people in the Schengen Zone makes the backbone of the internal market and makes the Benelux an important economic ecosystem within Europe.

The Prime Minister of Belgium said that Belgium is, in particular, keen to avoid any disruption to trade.

Smooth Functioning of Schengen Area Essential for the Benelux
Through a statement, the Prime Ministers of the Benelux countries have reiterated that the smooth functioning of the Schengen area is essential for the Benelux.

Each year, the Benelux states organise several summits, and they have a rotating presidency. Currently, the presidency is held by Belgium, while from January 1, 2025, the responsibility will be passed on to Luxembourg.

Tightened Measures to Deal With Irregular Migration
Irregular migration was also among the reasons that led authorities in the Netherlands to reintroduce border controls, following the steps of several other EU countries that have introduced such a measure.

Authorities in the Netherlands have also intensified their efforts to reduce the number of irregular entries.

The Dutch authorities have revealed that the country has banned the irregular entry of a large number of foreigners for a period from January until October this year.

The statistics provided by Marechaussee revealed that the border police had denied entry to 497 people at its land borders with Germany and Belgium by the end of last month.

Source: https://schengen.news/reintroduction-of-border-controls-by-netherlands-discussed-during-benelux-summit/