The Schengen Zone, once hailed as one of the greatest achievements of European integration, now stands at a crossroads. Designed to guarantee the free movement of people across internal EU borders without checks or barriers, it symbolized a Europe without walls—a united continent where citizens could travel, work, and live freely. But with increasing numbers of countries reinstating border controls, including recent decisions by Germany and Poland, one must ask: is the Schengen Zone still functioning as intended?
A Patchwork of Border Checks
Over the past decade, the Schengen Zone has been repeatedly strained—first by the 2015 migration crisis, then by the COVID-19 pandemic, and now by a renewed wave of irregular migration. In response, more and more countries have begun to reintroduce internal border checks, citing national security, public health, or migration pressures.
Most recently, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced that Poland will temporarily reintroduce controls on its borders with Germany and Lithuania, citing concerns about illegal migration and a perceived lack of reciprocity in border management. Germany has also continued selective checks on its frontier with Poland, Austria, and the Czech Republic. These measures, while legally permissible under the Schengen Borders Code, have grown in frequency and duration, turning “temporary” into something close to permanent.
The Erosion of a Core Principle
The erosion of border-free travel is not just about inconvenience at checkpoints. It signals a deeper problem: a loss of mutual trust between member states. The very foundation of Schengen rests on the idea that external borders are well-managed and that internal security threats can be collectively addressed. When that trust breaks down—as it seems to be now—countries feel compelled to take unilateral action.
If each state begins to treat its neighbors as potential risks rather than partners, the cooperative spirit that gave birth to Schengen risks being hollowed out. The vision of a borderless Europe then becomes less of a reality and more of a nostalgic memory.
A Functional Illusion?
On paper, Schengen still exists. Legally, it remains in force, and most European citizens can still cross borders without visas or passports. But in practice, the experience is changing. More passport checks, longer queues, stricter enforcement—all these add friction to what was supposed to be a seamless system. For truck drivers, cross-border workers, and students, this friction adds real costs and uncertainty.
Moreover, the normalization of border checks sets a precedent. It suggests that when national interests conflict with EU ideals, the former will win. This could embolden future governments to bend other EU rules in the name of sovereignty.
Reform or Requiem?
If the Schengen Zone is to survive, it must adapt. The EU needs to strengthen external border management, ensure fair and efficient asylum systems, and build mechanisms for burden-sharing among member states. But more importantly, it needs to restore the political will to uphold Schengen as more than just a technical arrangement. It must be reaffirmed as a political commitment to unity.
Otherwise, we may be witnessing not a temporary crisis, but the gradual unraveling of one of Europe’s most cherished freedoms.
