Europe’s Migrant Influx Threatens Schengen

Sep 01, 2015, 05:30 PM

The decision today by the authorities in Hungary to deny rail access to western Europe to hundreds of refugees and migrants is one that goes to the heart of Europe's internal border policy.

If a family from Syria, say, were to get on a train from Hungary they should be able to travel not just to Germany but right through Europe - without official interruption - to any of the 26 countries that are signed up to the Schengen agreement. It's been in force for 20 years, and it has some clear advantages for businesses working across Europe.

We spoke to John Springford, a senior research fellow at the Centre for European Reform. And Paul Hodges is the Chairman at International eChem, which advises the global chemical industry. He says the easiest way to describe the impact of Schengen is to remember the days before it existed.