crossing external borders

Third country nationals subject to or exempt from a visa requirement when crossing external borders (debate)

Slovenia is required to demonstrate its capability systematically to check all persons crossing external borders and to ensure effective border surveillance between authorised border crossing points.

Today' s report on crossing external borders and the development of Schengen cooperation and yesterday' s proposal from the Commission are really two sides of the same coin.

The first Regulation I referred to establishes a list of third countries whose nationals must be in possession of visas when crossing external borders; this is the so-called 'negative' list.

This report on crossing external borders and the development of Schengen cooperation touches on a subject at the very heart of the creation of an area of freedom, security and justice.

Similarly, we are also expecting proposals from the Commission with regard to how traffic crossing external borders can be seamlessly adapted to Europe's intelligent infrastructure which we are hoping for.

We must also take account of the fact that immigration is due to deep-seated causes that go beyond the purely technical aspect of crossing external borders that has been mentioned today.

I fully support the proposal drafted by the European Parliament and the Council concerning the waiving of the requirement for short-term visas for citizens of Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina when crossing external borders.

All persons crossing external borders - inbound or outbound - have to be subject to at least a minimum check, although travellers who are neither EU, EEA or Swiss citizens nor their family members enjoying the right of free movement must, in general, be subject to a thorough check.

In addition to secure travel documents, the border guards of the Member States have an important role to play, and they must pay increasing attention to the inspection of underage persons travelling with or without a guardian and crossing external borders of the EU, as they do in the case of adults.