EU gives Greece three months to fix its borders

If Athens fails, border controls could be extended for up to two years.

Click Here: All Blacks Rugby Jersey

EU countries will be able to prolong border controls for up to two years unless Greece fixes “serious deficiencies” in its migration system, national governments resolved Friday.

Member states voted to adopt 50 recommendations for Greece to address “as a matter of priority and urgency” to tackle shortcomings in how it processes migrants.

A European Commission assessment on January 27 found Greece had “serious deficiencies” in ensuring migrants arriving from Turkey and across the Aegean Sea were properly registered.

Greece now has one month to make an action plan to address the failings and three months within which to report on its implementation. Athens voted against the decision, and Bulgaria and Cyprus abstained.

If Greece falls short, the European Commission and Council can authorize the extension of internal border controls adopted by countries such as Germany and Austria, which are due to expire in May, for a maximum of up to two years.

The Schengen Borders Code allows for border controls in the usually passport-free zone when there is “a serious threat to public policy or internal security.”

“The very large number of arrivals is such that the external border controls of any member state would be placed under severe pressure,” the Council said in a press release. “The recommendation also notes that Greece has taken a number of measures to deal with the situation, but that given the scale of the situation, further efforts are needed.”

Greece has been under pressure for months to clamp down on migrants arriving on its shores, with Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico saying it should be forced out of Schengen altogether.

However, “the point [of Friday’s vote] is not locking Greece out of Schengen,” a senior EU official said. “The point is if the external border is not being controlled, it allows member states to keep the controls that are in place on their own internal borders.”

Dimitris Avramopoulos, the European commissioner for migration and home affairs, told POLITICO on January 28 that “no country is being dropped” from Schengen.