External borders of the European Union and the national security of Member States in the context of contemporary migration crisis

Grzegorz Balawajder

Uniwersytet Opolski, Instytut Politologii
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9397-4095

Abstract

The European Union is a space within which the freedom of movement of citizens, expressed through freedom to travel, work, study or live in a chosen EU country, is realized. The implementation of this freedom was a result of the abolition of controls at internal borders of the Union. However, for a Member of the EU, the price of this freedom is the necessity to ensure national security, which makes the protection of external borders a special task. The European Union, through the Schengen Agreement, created institutions for the protection of external borders in terms of ensuring the national security of Member States. The current migration crisis is a serious verification of the effectiveness of these institutions.

Keywords:

Schengen Agreement, Schengen Borders Code, European Border and Coast Guard, European Patrols Network, Rapid Border Intervention Teams, European Border Surveillance System, Dublin Convention, Prum Convention