France closing border crossings in the Catalan Pyrenees

Question for written answer  E-001849/2021
to the Commission
Rule 138
Jordi Solé (Verts/ALE), Diana Riba i Giner (Verts/ALE)

In January, France closed six of the eight border crossings with Catalonia in the Pyrenees, arguing that the move was intended to ‘prevent the terrorist threat and combat illegal immigration’.

On President Macron’s instruction, the regional prefectures closed six out of eight crossing points. They are all the crossings to Catalonia, except La Junquera and Prats de Molló.

The mention of the terrorist threat is hardly consistent. The great majority of attacks in France have been carried out by people with a migrant background who have lived there for years, and even had French nationality.

Organised far-right groups have turned up at these crossing points to stop illegal immigrants.

More than 20 mayors on both sides of the border have denounced the closure. This isolation is having a major impact on economic and essential activities between neighbouring villages. It is particularly affecting cross-border workers and threatening to cause serious harm to tourism. Some of the roads have been cut off with concrete blocks, making it impossible even for the emergency services to pass.

• 1.Does the Commission consider it justified to close the border in this way for months?
• 2.Is this border closure in breach of the Schengen Agreement?