Nine European nations reinstate border checks, straining Schengen freedom of movement

A growing number of European countries are reactivating border inspections, with nine states now operating checks within the Schengen area. Germany’s extensive reintroduction follows a recent knife incident, and France, Italy, Spain, Austria, Poland, Norway, Denmark and Sweden also apply sporadic controls at various entry points. This pattern undermines the Schengen framework that covers most EU members and several non-EU partners.

The repeated erosion of borderless travel threatens what officials have described as a key asset of the European Union. In response, the NGO The Good Lobby filed a complaint against the European Commission, signed by over a hundred academics and former EU commissioners, accusing the EU of insufficiently safeguarding Schengen. The complaint cites the re-imposition of checks by Italy and Spain as occurring without a genuine threat.