From freedom to friction – where are we now?
✨ 40 years ago, five European countries signed an agreement that would change everything — the way we travel, work, and live across the continent.
Enter: The Schengen Agreement
Signed on June 14, 1985, it scrapped internal borders and gave birth to one of the EU’s coolest flexes:
FREE MOVEMENT
Today, that means:
♀️ 460+ million people can move across 29 countries without showing a passport.
It fuels Erasmus+, Interrail, youth volunteering, study abroad vibes, and more.
Sounds like a dream, right?
⚠️ But the vibes are… changing.
Schengen’s facing some serious plot twists:
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Security threats
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Migration pressure
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Digital transformation
Some countries have even brought back internal border checks. Yup — the whole “no passport needed” thing? Not always true anymore.
What’s next?
The EU is cooking up Schengen 2.0:
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Better police teamwork
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Smarter travel tech ( ETIAS)
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More trust between member states
Will it be enough to keep the dream alive?
Sources:
– L’Europe fête les 40 ans de l’accord de Schengen by Hugo Palacin (Toute l’Europe, June 2025)
– 4th Annual Schengen Report – European Commission (April 2025)
– EU Council updates on Bulgaria & Romania’s Schengen accession (2025)