MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Amid a massive refugee crisis a number of European countries, including Austria, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Germany and France, reintroduced temporary border controls to curb migration.
The reintroduced border checks are due to expire in May, at which point the countries will be obliged to either lift the measures or extend them for a maximum period of two years.
"[The] interior ministers will on Monday in Amsterdam have the opportunity to discuss [the suspension of the Schengen Agreement]… and it's on the agenda what steps should be taken or will need to be taken once we near the end of the maximum period in May," European Commission spokeswoman Natasha Bertaud said at a press briefing last week.
Under current Schengen rules, a EU member country is allowed to restrict entry only temporarily. Free travel within the bloc is a fundamental principle of the European Union.
