EU’s migration commissioner rejects review of Schengen

European Commissioner for Migration Dimitris Avramopoulos on Friday ruled out agreeing to any initiative clamping down on visa-free travel in the 26-country Schengen area.

“Schengen is not the problem but the solution,” Avramopoulos told Kathimerini, responding to calls for tighter border controls to stem the surge of refugees reaching Europe from the Middle East.

Avramopoulos also played down criticism of Turkey, which has been accused of not doing enough to stop migrants and refugees from crossing into Greece, saying that “we have to recognize the huge burden it has accepted, with 2 million refugees at reception centers and another 2 million roaming around the country without papers.”