Brussels: Europe and the Arabs

The European Commission in Brussels published its fifth State of the Schengen Area report, reviewing developments in the area over the past year and outlining priorities for the coming year. The Schengen Area continues to demonstrate its resilience, supported by collective efforts at both the European and national levels.

According to a Commission statement: “The Schengen Area is one of the European Union’s most significant and valuable achievements, enabling more than 450 million European citizens to travel, work, study, and live freely across borders. It supports trade, tourism, and the free movement of goods vital to the European economy, as well as close cooperation to protect the EU’s external borders.”

The State of the Schengen 2026 report highlights the important achievements made during the past year. These measures include improved protection of external borders, resulting in a 26% decrease in illegal border crossings in 2025 compared to 2024. Joint efforts have also led to more effective returns of people not entitled to remain in the EU, with a 28% return rate in 2025 – the highest in the past decade. A key achievement in external border protection was the full launch of the Entry/Exit System in April 2026, which has further strengthened and digitized the Schengen Area. In the first six months of operation, Member States recorded over 66 million entries and exits, and 32,000 people were refused entry to the EU. The European Commission also adopted the first EU Visa Strategy in January 2026.

At the same time, the report shows that challenges remain and require action at both the EU and Schengen levels. This is particularly important in the current geopolitical environment, which necessitates enhanced collective responsibility to ensure the Schengen Area remains secure, united, and resilient. The priorities for the fifth Schengen cycle (2026-2027) will focus on consolidating achievements, addressing remaining gaps, and strengthening preparedness for current and future challenges.

The Commission invites the Schengen Council to discuss the 2026 State of Schengen Report and adopt the 2026-2027 priorities at the Justice and Home Affairs Council meeting in June.