Hundreds of people take part in Marches for Open Borders to protest against border controls in Europe

Marches for Open Borders: On Saturday, people from all over Europe took to the streets with Volt to send a message for a strong, open and united Europe.

Hundreds of people took to the streets at border crossings on Saturday to send a message for freedom and against internal European border controls with the ‘Marches for Open Borders’. The action has once again brought the demand for a borderless Europe into the public debate.

A particularly large number of people attended the demonstration in Frankfurt (Oder). In the Polish twin town of Słubice on the other side of the Oder, the demonstration had initially been banned for fear of right-wing extremist riots. The demonstrators from both sides gathered in Frankfurt (Oder) for the march and were invited by the mayors of both cities to a joint citizens' picnic on the Polish side.

In Luxembourg, too, demonstrations were held again at the border triangle on the occasion of the March for Open Borders. The crowd of around 75 demonstrators started in Apach (France) and then marched through Perl (Germany) and across the Moselle bridge to Schengen (Luxembourg), where closing speeches were held.

The marches, coordinated by Volt Germany, took place on the 40th anniversary of the Schengen Agreement – a milestone in European integration that is increasingly being undermined today. Over the last few years, federal governments have introduced and tightened border controls with neighbouring countries without a solid legal basis. "We will no longer accept this restriction of our freedom of movement. That is why we have called on the EU Commission to open infringement proceedings against Germany and now also Poland,‘ says Damian Boeselager, MEP for Volt. ’Today, we are protesting for our freedom at ten border points across Germany."

Stationary border controls have real and damaging effects on European integration, the economy and our individual freedoms. ‘Luxembourg, which has always been a symbol of European unity and cooperation, is particularly hard hit by these controls,’ emphasises Philippe Schannes, co-president of Volt Luxembourg. ‘Without cross-border workers, Luxembourg would be doomed. The border controls are a mockery and are once again fuelling prejudice against people from other EU countries. We want to see European cooperation, not symbolic politics.’

Millions of Europeans who commute, travel or trade across borders every day are affected. For them, border controls mean not only more bureaucracy and waiting times but also rising costs and a lower quality of life. The waiting times for goods alone result in losses of several billion euros per year for businesses.

‘Free travel, trade and the right to live in Europe are important to many people. That's what we're standing up for today,’ said Isabel Arens, co-initiator of the March for Open Borders. Volt will continue to campaign for the preservation and restoration of European freedom of movement – as the foundation of a united Europe that puts freedom, solidarity and humanity above national interests.

(photos by Thorsten Janz, @photogenitaet)