The Freedom of Movement made possible by the Schengen Agreement has allowed millions of people to live and work across borders, enabling commuters, cross-border families, and regional economies to thrive in a way that feels natural and symbiotic. Electorally motivated vetos to its enlargement, poorly planned cross-border mobility networks and services, or restrictive regulations in social domains, in spite of the Schengen Agreement, our freedom to move freely is constantly undermined.

As we mark the 40th anniversary of the Schengen Agreement, this foundational freedom is increasingly under threat. Around a third of Schengen countries have reinstated internal border controls, often citing migration and security concerns under the provisions of the Schengen Border Code. While these measures may be framed as temporary, they undermine the very essence of what Schengen represents:

The Don’t touch my Schengen campaign was started in 2016 by the Young European Federalists – JEF Europe as a call for freedom of movement across internal borders, for a full and immediate restoration and preservation of the integrity and benefits of a borderless Europe for the benefit of every of its citizens! To that end, we organise demonstrations with our network of national sections at the border regions and Schengen itself, we get in touch with national and European decision makers and have built strong coalitions with other organisations in civil society to raise awareness on this issue.

What are the impacts

These controls are a massive disruption,  not only on the ideal level, but also in terms of economics and relations between the countries concerned.  As a study commissioned by the European Parliament back in 2016 revealed, especially on the economic side the costs of prolonged border controls has been calculated as high as €5 billion for a two year suspension concerning seven countries and up to €51 billion for the entire area. [1] One sector that had profited especially from Schengen, the transportation sector would be heavily damaged, not only in the monetary dimensions (€300 billion considering the waiting time at the border) but also in the social ones; disruption of health services in Luxembourg during Covid crisis and the everyday cross-border working people. These often unilateral decisions of countries, especially Germany to extend their border controls, poisons the relationship between the neighbors. Poland voiced on multiple occasions its discontent with these measures, as have others such as Luxembourg. [2] It is a poison to European unity and only helps to make these controls the new status quo in the public.

Controls are just the tip of the iceberg

While border controls are a very visible barrier to free movement, there are many other – much more subtle – bumps on the road. From poor transport planning failing to fulfil the mobility needs of cross-border commuters, to vetoes massively delaying Schengen enlargement or restrictive legislation in multiple areas that curtail the rights of specific categories of people when it comes to their right to freely roam the Schengen Area.