Coronavirus: European borders likely to remain open despite crisis in Italy, observers say

EU and Schengen Area member states have formed a ‘Covid-19 borders group’ to monitor situation, EU home affairs commissioner says

Number of infections in Italy rose to more than 3,850 on Friday morning, with 148 people killed

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Italy has reported more deaths from the coronavirus outbreak than anywhere else in the world outside China. Photo: EPA-EFE

Published: 7:00pm, 7 Mar 2020Updated: 10:47pm, 7 Mar 2020

European nations are wrestling with a dilemma amid the coronavirus outbreak over whether to maintain their policy of open borders or close their doors to prevent the further spread of Covid-19.

While European Union law allows nations to restrict the movement of people into and out of their territory in certain circumstances, EU Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson said that so far, “no member state has had any indication that they will have any internal border checks within the Schengen Area”.

The Schengen Area covers 26 European nations – including non-members of the EU – within which citizens, businesspeople and tourists can move freely without being subjected to border checks.

EU Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson says no member states have indicated they will introduce border checks within the Schengen Area. Photo: AFP

But some politicians – including Marine Le Pen, the head of the French right-wing National Rally party – have called for borders to be closed, especially with Italy, which as of Friday morning had reported more than 3,850 cases of the disease and 148 deaths.

On February 23, Austria suspended all train services to and from Italy for about four hours after a train bound for Germany via Austria was stopped on the Italian side after two passengers were suspected of being infected with the coronavirus.

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