Schengen Agreement Immigration Policy
One of the key features of the Schengen area is the Schengen Information System (SIS), a vast database used by the competent national authorities to ensure public security in the Schengen area and to ensure effective management of the external borders. Participating countries are primarily responsible for the management of their external borders, while being allowed to conclude bilateral agreements with neighbouring countries with a view to implementing a local border regime. In addition, the Schengen countries reserve the right to re-establish internal controls for six months in exceptional cases. [22] Article 2(5)(a)(b) Id. Under an agreement with Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein, the free movement of persons is extended to citizens of the European Economic Area (EEA) as well as to Swiss nationals. Third-country nationals may enter within six months for stays not exceeding three months, provided that they do not pose a risk to public policy, public security or public health and that no alert on refusal of entry is issued in the Schengen Information System (see below). [40] In addition, they must meet the following requirements: the result of these efforts – the series of agreements known as Schengen – has had an impact on border control and visa policy in the Member States of the European Union (EU). . .
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