国际英语资讯:Spotlight: European nations relax border controls with vigilance while gearing up to cut tou_时事

国际英语资讯:Spotlight: European nations relax border controls with vigilance while gearing up to cut tou

In neighboring France, travelers from countries outside the Schengen area will have to wait until July 1.

In Belgium, the authorities reopened its border to other EU members, non-EU Schengen countries -- Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Iceland and Norway -- as well as Britain.

While Belgium gives the green light to other European countries, the same does not necessarily apply in the other direction. According to the information posted online by the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Belgians can currently only visit Germany, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, Liechtenstein and Switzerland without restrictions. Non-essential travel outside the EU and Schengen area is still prohibited.

The development came after the European Commission requested member states to have their borders reopened by July 1.

EMBRACING TOURISTS

Spain planned to reopen its frontiers with the EU countries -- with the exception of Portugal -- on June 21. But a pilot scheme of tourism was kicked off on Monday.

The first group of an estimated 10,900 German tourists expected to visit the Balearic Islands of Mallorca, Menorca and Ibiza between now and July 1 landed at Palma de Mallorca Airport on Monday morning.

They are the first tourists allowed to enter Spain since the declaration of the State of Alarm and the subsequent lockdown.

All the tourists had to undergo a safety and security check, which included filling in a form still in flight to give details of where they would be staying during their visit, which must last a minimum of five nights. They also had their temperature checked on arrival.