The European Union’s border-free travel zone is under threat after the foiled attack on the Thalys high-speed train.
As well as grappling with an unprecedented influx of migrants into Europe, governments and security officials fear that terrorists are using passport-free travel within the EU to avoid detection.
Ayoub El Khazzani, the Moroccan man accused of carrying out the attack, was on terrorist watch lists yet was able to board a train from Brussels to Paris without any identity or security checks.
Khazzani benefited from free movement rules under the Schengen agreement that allow unchecked travel between 22 EU countries plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.
Security officials estimate that up to 3,000 militants who have fought in Syria and Iraq have been able to use the system to move freely across Europe.
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While anti-terrorist watch-lists and controls operate on Europe’s external borders, once inside the Schengen area terrorist suspects such as Khazzani can disappear.
Charles Michel, Belgium’s prime minister, has called for new controls within the area to pick up suspects such as Khazzani, who moved freely between Spain, France, Belgium and Germany.
“It is undoubtedly a boon for those who have good intentions but if this freedom is also used in order to harm, perhaps we should, for example, have more widespread identity and luggage checks in international trains,” he said on Sunday night.
As with air travel, security checks and luggage scans that could have picked up Khazzani’s arsenal would be allowed but identity controls, enabling the operation of watch-lists, are ruled out. The rules allow security to be stepped up for a 30-day emergency period as long as actions are targeted.
“Security checks can be compatible with Schengen as long as they do not have an effect equivalent to border checks,” a European Commission official said. “Schengen is one of the EU’s greatest achievements, it is non-negotiable and the commission has no intention of changing it.”
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Thomas de Maizière, the German interior minister, warned last week that the Schengen agreement was in danger because of a record number of asylum seekers and illegal immigrants entering Europe unchecked then travelling into Germany.