Covid-19 and the collective securitisation of schengen: an analysis of EU and national responses to border control

Abstract

ABSTRACT During the refugee crisis, the EU collectively securitised the Schengen zone to manage the uncoordinated reintroduction of national border controls in response to the influx of refugees. With Covid-19, the Schengen zone once again faced severe challenges in 2020, calling the survival of a borderless Europe into question. While in February 2020, internal border controls seemed a disproportionate measure, in March the reintroduction of internal border checks and travel bans was snowballing across member states. This article analyses the impact of Covid-19 on internal Schengen borders while applying the concept of collective securitisation. It considers the role of the member states and EU institutions to understand the securitising dynamics. It argues that the member states were in the driving seat of the securitisation process, with the EU accepting some of their rationale with a view to desecuritise Schengen.