Justice-and-Home-Affairs (JHA) counsellors from all 27 EU member states convened in Brussels on 24 October 2025 to discuss migration, integration and expulsion ahead of the December Home Affairs Council. Austria’s delegation, led by senior interior-ministry officials, argued for a more robust common returns framework and for maintaining internal border checks with Hungary and Slovenia until at least mid-2026.
The closed-door agenda – circulated to national parliaments and published by Austria’s Parliament – included reform of the Visa Code to expedite visa annulment for overstayers, financial incentives for third countries that accept readmissions, and the operational timeline for the new Entry/Exit System (EES). Austrian delegates stressed that irregular arrivals along the Balkan route have fallen 50 % since temporary controls were reintroduced but warned of “route displacement” if neighbouring Germany tightens checks.
For mobility managers, the meeting signals that Schengen-internal controls are likely to persist into 2026, affecting road freight and commuter traffic. Corporations should plan for sporadic delays at Austrian land borders and advise non-EU business visitors to carry employment letters and hotel confirmations even on intra-Schengen trips.
The counsellors will forward draft conclusions to the Coreper and Home Affairs ministers in November. Policy watchers expect contentious negotiations over the balance between mobility and security, particularly on the length of permissible internal controls under Article 25 of the Schengen Code.
The closed-door agenda – circulated to national parliaments and published by Austria’s Parliament – included reform of the Visa Code to expedite visa annulment for overstayers, financial incentives for third countries that accept readmissions, and the operational timeline for the new Entry/Exit System (EES). Austrian delegates stressed that irregular arrivals along the Balkan route have fallen 50 % since temporary controls were reintroduced but warned of “route displacement” if neighbouring Germany tightens checks.
For mobility managers, the meeting signals that Schengen-internal controls are likely to persist into 2026, affecting road freight and commuter traffic. Corporations should plan for sporadic delays at Austrian land borders and advise non-EU business visitors to carry employment letters and hotel confirmations even on intra-Schengen trips.
The counsellors will forward draft conclusions to the Coreper and Home Affairs ministers in November. Policy watchers expect contentious negotiations over the balance between mobility and security, particularly on the length of permissible internal controls under Article 25 of the Schengen Code.
