Summary

The Schengen Area, a cornerstone of EU integration allowing free movement across 27 countries, faces increasing strain as internal border checks become widespread.

In 2024, Germany expanded controls to all its land borders, citing rising migration, with other nations like France and the Netherlands maintaining or reintroducing checks.

Critics argue these measures, intended as temporary exceptions, risk undermining Schengen’s principles.

Despite plans to welcome Bulgaria and Romania as full Schengen members in 2025, ongoing debates over migration policy and uneven burden-sharing challenge the vision of a borderless Europe.