Schengen March: European protest against national border controls

The march from France through Germany to Schengen in Luxembourg demonstrated against the newly introduced border controls at Europe's internal borders.

The march, supported by a broad coalition of parties and civil society (Volt, associations of Young European Federalists (JEF), the European Movement, the Europa-Union, Pulse of Europe, the Rhineland-Palatinate Pirate Party and PdH), emphasises the broad commitment to maintaining a borderless Europe that prioritises unity, cooperation and freedom. A total of 250 people took part in the demonstration.

In a series of speeches, the groups emphasise that border controls are not a solution to the challenges of European migration policy and criticise the increasing populist, nationalist rhetoric. On the contrary, the pseudo-solution threatens one of the most important symbols of European unification.

‘We are here to protect the principles of the European Union. We want to debunk the right-wing narratives that have become mainstream positions, and we want to show that the idea of open borders and a united Europe is the reason for our success,’ says MEP Kai Tegethoff (Volt), summarising the aim of the march.

The groups agree that only a common European approach can sustainably overcome the challenges of migration and integration policy.

JEF's national chair Melanie Thut is highly critical of the German government: "Germany is attacking a cornerstone of European integration. Germany is violating European law, the Schengen Borders Code. And it is breaking its own promises: where is the federal Europe from the coalition agreement that we have fought so hard for as JEF?"

According to the Schengen Borders Code, border controls are only permissible “under exceptional circumstances” as a “last resort” and for a clearly defined reason. The blanket orders by Germany, France and the Netherlands do not meet this requirement. They noticeably restrict the everyday lives and freedoms of everyone, especially people who live near the border, but also travellers, commuters, international students and apprentices. However, they also cause economic losses due to the difficult border crossings.

Philippe Schannes, co-president of Volt Luxembourg, emphasised the importance of the Schengen Agreement for Luxembourg: "Open borders have made our country what we are today. Luxembourg is Europe, needs Europe and we at Volt Luxembourg will always defend the European freedom of movement. At a time when divisions fuelled by populism are threatening to undermine the foundations of our union, it is our duty to uphold the European idea of unity and cooperation. We must stand together for a Europe without borders, for a Europe of peace, prosperity, freedom and progress."

📷 Photos by Thorsten Janz (@photogenitaet)