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The option is proposed in a leaked discussion paper for EU home affairs ministers prepared by Luxembourg, which holds the rotating presidency of the EU, The Financial TImes reports.

If ministers support the proposal the European Commission would be able to recommend closing one or more internal borders within Schengen for up to two years.

In effect, this would see the temporary border checks introduced this summer between countries such as Austria and Germany become a long-term fixture, fracturing the passport-free zone.

It comes after the EU repeatedly warned Greece to overhaul its response to the migration crisis and seek outside help or face a possible suspension from the Schengen zone.

The Luxembourg paper unexpectedly goes further — not just threatening Greece with the suspension and reimposition of borders, but escalating the recommendation to potentially cover more member states.

This could allow countries such as Germany, Austria, France and Sweden to tighten and extend the temporary border restrictions they already have in place, which have been approved by the commission.