More than 20 border crossings blocked as truckers protest Schengen stay rules

Teams from Anadolu Agency and N1 spoke with transport operators at the Gradina border crossing between Serbia and Bulgaria, where heavy goods traffic was brought to a standstill.

Protesters say the blockades will remain in place until they receive clear and binding guarantees from the European Commission that talks will begin on resolving the issue and that professional drivers will be exempted from the Schengen rules that currently apply to tourists.

"Over the past ten days, we have seen deportations from northern Germany, the Netherlands and Austria. By the nature of the job, a driver’s workplace is the cab of the truck – they are constantly in transit", said Milan Ilic, a representative of the Paracin-based transport company Polet. “The Schengen zone has been expanding all this time, and now it effectively starts at almost every border we cross, where drivers are forced to spend long periods of time.”

Polet is a member of the International Transport Business Association in Belgrade, which represents around 2,000 transport companies in Serbia.

Ilic said transport operators have been warning the European Commission for two years about the unresolved legal status of professional drivers under Schengen rules.

“We now have a situation where drivers are being tracked down in parking areas as if they were illegal migrants, which is deeply problematic,” he said.

According to Ilic, the transport sector has a single, clear demand: an exemption for professional drivers from the 90/180-day rule.

“This category of people must be treated differently from tourists who cross borders for leisure or private reasons. These are professional drivers, and it is very easy to verify that they are engaged in this line of work,” he said. “If nothing changes, there will be serious consequences for the domestic transport industry, which employs around 25,000 people, and we will face a growing shortage of drivers.”

He warned that continued restrictions could push transport companies to relocate operations to neighbouring EU member states, despite their preference to remain based in their home countries.

“Our interest is to stay here and fight for our right to work,” Ilic added.

He also warned that the full implementation of the new system, scheduled for April 10, could lead to major disruptions in supply chains. A trial phase of the system has been under way since October 12 last year.

In addition to Gradina, blockades were also reported at the border crossings of Batrovci, Backi Breg, Sid, Kelebija, Vrska Cuka, Nestin, Horgos, Strezimirovci, Backa Palanka, Srpska Crnja, Presevo, Bogojevo, Vatin, Kaludjerevo, Bezdan, Djerdap, Konculj, Brnjak, Jarinje and Merdare.