Security fear as EU drops borders

As of 21st December 2007, Estonia, the Czech Republic, Lithuania, Hungary, Latvia, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia will become part of the Schengen area. Controls at internal land and sea borders between these countries and the current 15 member states will be lifted.

The head of the European Union's border watchdog Frontex, Ilkka Laitinen, has warned of a possible rise in illegal immigration because of the enlargement of the Schengen area, December 2007.

FRONTEX website http://www.frontex.europa.eu/

European Commission: Press Release: IP/07/1968: Enlargement of the Schengen area: achieving the European goal of free movement of persons http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/07/1968&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

European Commission: MEMO/07/618: Background on Schengen enlargement http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/07/618&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

Deutsche Welle, 20.12.07: Schengen Expansion Ends Iron Curtain's Hold Over Europe http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,3014181,00.html

BBC News, 20.12.07: Fanfare for bigger border-free EU http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7153490.stm

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