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Dublin and Schengen, two of the European Union’s oldest and most fundamental accomplishments, have come under considerable pressure since the large influx of refugees in 2015. As the two systems have been closely linked to one another from their inception, it bears no surprise that problems in one (Dublin) have spilled over into the other (Schengen). Hopes for reaching a consensus at the upcoming June Council summit are fading as more time passes. This paper frames the debate within the wider context of the systems’ historical and systemic connections before tracing the sequence of events that put them under such severe strain. It then assesses the current state of affairs and argues that in the glaring absence of political leadership, both in the ongoing discussions on Dublin reform and on the Schengen side, where internal border controls are upheld long past any reasonable policy justification, the two systems risk going down together.
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