A town called Schengen: After decades of seamless travel, European borders checks are back
The Schengen area, which historically allowed seamless travel across European borders, is facing renewed checks as Germany reintroduces police controls. This shift follows political pressure regarding immigration and security concerns, marking a departure from the decades-old agreement.
Why it matters
The reintroduction of border checks challenges the core European ideal of free movement and reflects rising political tensions over migration and security within the EU.
N icolas Ruppert, a 10th-generation winemaker, is chatting to me in his uncle’s vineyard on a small hilltop in the town of Schengen in Luxembourg .
A bridge across the river below brings you to the spot where the German and French border come together. It would take you two minutes to spin between the three European countries in a car. The exact “tripoint” where Luxembourg, Germany and France meet is in the middle of the Moselle river.
It was near this point, aboard the MS Princesse Marie-Astrid, that France, Germany, Luxembourg, Belgium and the Netherlands signed the Schengen agreement in 1985, committing to remove checks when crossing borders within the five countries.
The pact created a European common travel area, or as it’s commonly known, the Schengen area.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in