Is ‘Schengen’ being called into question after 40 years?

Croatian border

ZAGREB, 14 June 2025 (Hina) – The Schengen Area has long been considered a crown jewel of European integration. But as it marks its 40th anniversary, several EU member states are calling aspects of it into question—prompting concern about the future of open borders in Europe, writes the European Newsroom (ENR), which includes Croatia’s Hina news agency.

It was the start of summer in 1985 when government representatives from Belgium, Germany, France, Luxembourg and the Netherlands gathered aboard a boat in the small village of Schengen, Luxembourg.

The location was symbolic—situated on the River Moselle, where the borders of France, Luxembourg and Germany meet.

There, on 14 June 1985, the Schengen Agreement was signed.

The agreement’s goal was to eliminate border controls between participating countries, paving the way for the free movement of people. Fully implemented in 1995, it established the foundation for a borderless travel zone across much of Europe.

Today, the Schengen Area covers 29 countries: 25 EU member states, plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.

Only Ireland and Cyprus remain outside the Schengen Area. Ireland maintains a common travel area with the UK and has opted out of Schengen to avoid complications at its border. Cyprus, meanwhile, is currently undergoing the process of joining.

Other countries, such as Albania, are keen to join. Albania has developed strong economic, political and security ties with Schengen states, and since 2010 has benefited from visa-free travel, alongside strong public and governmental support for European and Schengen integration.

Often seen as a pillar of the EU, the Schengen Area continues to enjoy broad public backing. A Eurobarometer survey conducted in October 2024 found that 72% of respondents considered Schengen one of the EU’s greatest achievements.

Economic Boosts for New Entrants

The most recent expansion, in January 2025, saw Romania and Bulgaria officially join the Schengen Area after years of delays. Air and sea border controls were lifted in March 2024, with substantial economic benefits soon following.

Romanian Finance Minister Tánczos Barna said the move has made Romania more attractive to foreign investors by streamlining the movement of goods and services.

Removing internal border checks has simplified logistics, cut down wait times and costs, and helped make Romania more competitive on the European market.

Former Bulgarian Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov hailed the achievement as “the greatest success of Bulgarian diplomacy” since the country’s EU accession in 2007.

Dimitar Dimitrov, head of the Bulgarian Road Transport Association, noted that long delays at the Romanian border used to cost the sector some €300 million annually, with average waiting times between 10 and 15 hours.

In the first quarter of 2025, cross-border traffic surged. Nearly 160,000 vehicles crossed between Romania and Bulgaria, compared to 128,000 during the same period in 2024, according to Romania’s Road Management Agency.

Dimitrov also emphasised that Schengen membership enhances Bulgaria’s role as a strategic transport hub between the EU and Turkey. However, he warned that outdated infrastructure remains a major bottleneck.

Croatia, which joined the Schengen Area in January 2023, has had a similar experience. Membership enjoys overwhelming support among Croatian citizens.

For a country so heavily reliant on tourism—much of it arriving by road—the removal of internal border controls has been a game-changer.

The long queues that used to form at border crossings with Slovenia during the summer months have largely disappeared, particularly on weekends.

Mounting Pressures and Border Reintroductions

Despite the Schengen Area’s clear benefits, the past decade has brought notable challenges. Several countries have reintroduced internal border checks, mainly to address concerns around migration and terrorism.

Although temporary controls have returned to parts of the Schengen zone, this does not necessarily mean routine checks of all vehicles. For many travellers, border crossings remain relatively smooth.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many countries closed borders temporarily as a health precaution.

France reinstated border controls in November 2015 following terrorist attacks in Paris, and has extended them every six months since, most recently through to 31 October 2025.

Austria introduced temporary checks on its borders with Slovenia and Hungary in 2015 in response to a surge in migration. These controls have been repeatedly extended, affecting trade and creating delays for commuters and businesses.

Slovenia followed suit in October 2023, reintroducing controls at its borders with Croatia and Hungary, citing worsening conditions in the Middle East, increased migration along the Balkan route, and security concerns. Italy had already reinstated controls with Slovenia for similar reasons.

Although some feared a return to the past when Slovenia announced these measures shortly after Croatia joined Schengen, systematic checks of every vehicle have not occurred, and traffic continues to flow largely without disruption.

The EU allows temporary border checks in cases of “a serious threat to public policy or internal security”, but only under exceptional circumstances.

Member states may implement checks with valid justification, typically for up to two years—renewable every six months. Beyond that, the justification must change for extensions to remain lawful.

Currently, Slovenia, Austria, the Netherlands, Denmark, France, Norway, Sweden, Germany, Bulgaria and Italy have reinstated some level of internal border controls.

Germany’s new government, which took office in May, has stepped up patrols along its borders, frustrating some of its neighbours.

“We must avoid rebuilding borders in people’s minds. The Schengen Area must endure,” said Luxembourg’s Interior Minister Léon Gloden during talks with his German counterpart in late May.

The mayors of Strasbourg and Kehl, twin cities on opposite sides of the Rhine, sent a joint letter of protest to German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, complaining that increased controls were disrupting daily life and reducing cross-border commerce.

In recent years, Germany has steadily expanded checks at its land borders to curb irregular migration. Since the new government took power, controls have intensified, and border guards have been authorised to turn away migrants seeking asylum.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk strongly criticised Germany’s actions, pointing to the thousands of migrants sent back across the border. On Wednesday, he warned Poland may implement its own border controls with Germany this summer if pressure continues to mount in border regions.

Not All States Have Followed Suit

Despite the trend, several countries have avoided reinstating border controls.

Belgium, for example, has largely refrained—except during the winter of 2021 at the height of the pandemic. This is notable given Belgium has faced its own pressures, including secondary migration movements and the Brussels terror attacks in 2016.

Each time France, Germany or the Netherlands introduced border checks, Belgium continued to prioritise the free movement of goods and attempted to shield trade from disruption.

Portugal is another case in point. Apart from during major events like the Pope’s 2010 visit to Lisbon or the COVID-19 crisis, it has refrained from imposing checks.

Public sentiment in Portugal strongly supports Schengen, viewing it as a symbol of integration and mobility—though there is growing awareness of the security and migration-related challenges it entails.

A Museum and a Memory

Back in the village of Schengen, where the project began, these shifting attitudes have not gone unnoticed.

The local Schengen Museum, dedicated to the history of open borders in Europe, is reopening this weekend after a major refurbishment as part of the 40th-anniversary celebrations.

Museum Director Martina Kneip reflected on how much has changed since the museum first opened in 2010.

“Back then, open borders were truly something to celebrate,” she said. “But when the refugee crisis and COVID-19 hit, suddenly people were shouting: ‘Schengen is dead, nobody wants it anymore, it’s to blame for everything.’”

The museum’s revamp is partly a response to that shift in public perception.

Visitors can now explore exhibits that highlight the continuing importance of the Schengen idea. “We succeeded in removing borders between countries,” said Schengen Mayor Michel Gloden. “We must never allow them to return in our minds.”