Collective Border Policy in the European Union

Refugees of the 2011 Arab Spring placed grave pressure on one of the European Union's most significant achievements: The Schengen Agreement. Established in 1985 and incorporated into the EU treaty framework in 1999, The Schengen Agreement abolishes internal border controls and allows for passport-free travel between Schengen's 26 participating member states. The project symbolizes the idea of an integrated Europe, yet arising nationalist sentiment due to the events of the Arab Spring caused attitudes toward Schengen to shift as countries, like France, reinstated border controls to combat the influx of immigrants. As a result, EU Member States are beginning to question Schengen's level of effectiveness, success and stability as a collective border policy for Europe in the years to come. This thesis attempts to gain a general understanding behind what the Schengen Agreement is, why it was developed, and how the public views Schengen and attitudes toward internal border controls post Arab Spring. By critically examining Schengen from its early stages of agreement against the backdrop of European integration, to its present state operating as the Schengen Zone, the thesis analyzes membership participation in Schengen as well as assesses public attitudes toward the Schengen area to enlighten on why Schengen has become such a hotly debated issue between EU Member States.