Italy and Denmark want the European Union to close its external borders if a new migration crisis erupts because of war in Iran.
In a joint letter reported by the “FAZ”, Prime Ministers Giorgia Meloni and Mette Frederiksen urged the European Commission to explore “mechanisms that could act as an emergency brake” to be activated if large migration flows toward the Union occur as a result of force majeure. The letter was dispatched on Wednesday evening and reviewed the following morning by the group of 14 heads of government in Brussels, including German Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU).
Meloni and Frederiksen emphasise that the EU cannot afford to see a repeat of the 2015‑2016 exodus. “It would be not only a humanitarian disaster for those directly affected, but would also endanger the security and cohesion of the Union” they write. All tools must be employed-humanitarian assistance for affected people and border protection alike-to reduce this risk. “We must not be caught off guard again” they add. The correspondence calls for a further strengthening of borders so that every member state is adequately equipped and the EU retains full control over its external frontiers.
The letters cite Greece’s 2020 approach to Turkey and Poland’s 2021 strategy against Belarus as models for closing external borders. In those cases, both countries shut crossing points, physically turned people back, or returned them to their countries of origin without examining protection claims. The Commission’s statement at the end of 2024 outlined that, in extreme cases, member states could reject asylum seekers at the external borders. However, that provision was intended for “hybrid attacks” in which migration is employed as a weapon.