Spain comes out against reform plans for Schengen

Spanish authorities used the term "disproportionate" to describe the French-Italian proposal to reform EU legislation to prevent entry to thousands of displaced people from northern Africa following the wave of popular revolts there.

"It is disproportionate to address the current situation with a reform of the Schengen agreement [which abolished internal borders in 1995], when there was no reform at previous times," said Anna Terrón, secretary of state for immigration and emigration. "Nobody is against the idea of Schengen working better, but on the basis of free circulation," she continued.

Terrón said there was little proportion between the underlying cause and Italy and France's proposal to reform Schengen, and that Spain's position was "not favorable" to the changes. Spain, she added, is ready to contribute its experience to finding a solution.

The statements came on the same day that Denmark announced it would unilaterally reintroduce border controls despite being a Schengen member since 2001, claiming a rise in cross-border crime.

Terrón noted that the treaty contemplates the possibility of temporary returns to closed borders, and said "this can be done without the need for any reform of Schengen."

She also said there was "no migratory crisis in the Mediterranean, but a possible transition to democracy in some countries," in reference to the popular revolts in several Arab countries along the Mediterranean arc.

The key to solving the situation lies in helping Tunisia, she said. In the two months since the revolt there, around 25,000 "economic immigrants" have reached the Italian island of Lampedusa.