Schengen town feels return of border checks
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Nicolas Ruppert, a winemaker in Schengen, Luxembourg, noticed a change as Germany reintroduced police checks at its land borders in September 2024.
The move followed terror attacks in Solingen, Germany, where a Syrian national with ties to Islamic State killed three people. Germany initially implemented spot checks in 2023, prompting Poland to reciprocate, and has extended these “temporary” restrictions every six months citing concerns about irregular migration and public security.
France also introduced border checkpoints two years ago, and Italy’s prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, imposed passport checks on travel from Spain after a large influx of migrants arrived in Ceuta, a Spanish exclave in North Africa. This sparked tension between Rome and Madrid, though a resolution appears likely. The Dutch government is advocating for better coordination among Schengen countries to manage borders, proposing a system similar to the Eurogroup for finance ministers.
The return of border controls inconveniences cross-border workers like those at the Ruppert family vineyard, which operates on both sides of the Luxembourg-France border and employs people from three countries. Politicians travelling between Luxembourg and Germany were recently stopped by German police at the Schengen border, highlighting the symbolic impact of these measures on the spirit of European cooperation. While national systems aren’t currently overwhelmed with asylum applications, governments face pressure from populist parties promising stricter immigration policies.
