The decision by Austria and 9 Balkan countries to unilaterally draft their own border controls as the EU stands "paralyzed" by the refugee crisis triggered a variety of interesting reactions. Francois CrÄ‚Å peau, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants regrets that "Europe is creating a scary new ‘normal.'".
Borders are back. Belgium became the latest country to suspend the rules of the Schengen accord following restrictions imposed by Germany, France, Sweden and Norway. Hungary will hold a referendum on whether to impose migrant quotas and rejected criticism by the EU as emanating from the "ivory tower of Brussels".
How the world has changed. When president Obama assumed office in 2008, a borderless Europe -- even a world without nuclear weapons -- was seriously on the agenda. Now even Brussels sees the handwriting on the wall. "Europe's cherished free-travel zone will shut down unless Turkey acts to cut the number of migrants heading north through Greece by March 7, European Union officials said on Thursday."
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