Daily Express — Terrified EU member states are preparing to jettison Greece in a bid to save their own skins from the four million people expected into Europe this year alone.
If Greece, whose already fragile economy has been overwhelmed by the refugee influx, was expelled from the free movement zone it would allow the rest of the continent to fortify its northern land border with fences and troops, cutting off the route used by millions of migrants headed for Germany and Scandinavia.
Such a move would have a devastating effect on the impoverished Mediterranean nation, which would then be forced to house millions of asylum seekers itself, and would almost certainly herald its exit from the EU.
The desperate plan has been hatched by Belgium, Austria and Sweden, who have all accused Greece of not doing enough to secure its sea border with neighbouring Turkey.
The three nations publicly rebuked Greek leaders just hours before before interior ministers gathered in Amsterdam to discuss emergency measures to prop up the Schengen system.
Austrian interior minister Johanna Mikl-Leitner said: “If we cannot protect the external EU border, the Greek-Turkish border, then the Schengen external border will move towards central Europe.
“It is a myth that the Greek-Turkish border cannot be protected. The Greek navy has enough capacities to secure this border. It is one of the biggest navies in Europe.”
More than a million migrants have arrived in Europe over the last year, with experts saying up to four million more could pour into the continent in 2016.
The influx has forced many member states – including Germany – to reimpose border controls abandoned when they signed up to Schengen. While they have insisted the measures are temporary, there are no signs they will be lifted any time soon.
Swedish interior minister Anders Ygeman said: “We have seven countries with border controls.
“In the end, if a country doesn’t live up to its obligations, we will have to restrict its connections to the Schengen area. If you don’t have control of your borders, it will have consequences for the free movement.”
Jan Jambon, Belgium’s interior minister, added his support for kicking Greece out of Schengen, saying the country “has to do what it has to do – namely, controls. And if that is not the case, we need to look closely into that”.
Germany and Denmark are also understood to be backing the proposal.
Brussels chiefs are also reportedly considering plans to significantly bolster security forces on Greece’s border with Macedonia, effectively taking the management of Greece’s frontiers out of its own hands.
Any such proposal has been furiously rejected by ministers in Athens, who have warned it will trap millions of migrants in their country creating a “cemetery of souls”.
Such a move would have a devastating effect on the impoverished Mediterranean nation, which would then be forced to house millions of asylum seekers itself, and would almost certainly herald its exit from the EU.
EU leaders are also considering a legal fudge which would allow countries within Schengen to take back control of their borders by extending emergency measures initially brought in for a maximum of six months to two years.
The prospect of Greece being booted out of the free movement zone is just the latest in a series of calamities to hit the EU which have fuelled a belief that the 28-nation bloc is about to implode.
Last week Donald Tusk warned that the EU will not survive if the Schengen zone fails, while both Angela Merkel and European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker have also issued dire warnings about the consequences of the free-movement area breaking up.
Despite patrols, sealing Greek sea border is near impossible
But more and more member states are ignoring their pleas with Poland becoming the latest to take an increasingly tough stance on migration, following in the footsteps of neighbour Hungary which built a 110-mile fence to keep people out.
Even France is now in favour of tougher border security after it emerged that Islamic State (ISIS) terrorists posing as refugees exploited the free movement zone to travel to Paris and carry out the evil November massacre.
Whilst Francois Hollande’s government remains committed to the survival of Schengen, the Elysee is set to propose a raft of new proposals including more thorough border checks on EU nationals to help improve security.
Last week billionaire businessman George Soros warned that the EU is on the “verge of collapse” because of leaders’ muddling response to the migrant crisis.
The situation in Europe is also expected to play a huge part in the upcoming referendum on Britain’s membership of the EU, with the Brexit campaign opening up a huge six point lead in part due to concerns about migration.
