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Balkan Truckers Block Borders Over EU Stay Limits, Disrupting Key Freight Corridor

Protesters say tighter Schengen enforcement under the EU’s new Entry/Exit System jeopardizes their livelihoods.

A man prepares to cook on a portable grill next to a line of trucks and buses on the Bosnian side of the border with Croatia, in Svilaj, Bosnia, Monday, Jan. 26, 2026, as drivers across the Balkans blocked dozens of border crossings in the region in protest over newly introduced European Union entry regulations.(AP Photo/Eldar Emric)
Men stand next to a line of trucks and buses on the Bosnian side of the border with Croatia, in Svilaj, Bosnia, Monday, Jan. 26, 2026, as drivers across the Balkans blocked dozens of border crossings in the region in protest over newly introduced European Union entry regulations.(AP Photo/Eldar Emric)
A man stands next to a line of trucks and buses on the Bosnian side of the border with Croatia, in Svilaj, Bosnia, Monday, Jan. 26, 2026, as drivers across the Balkans blocked dozens of border crossings in the region in protest over newly introduced European Union entry regulations.(AP Photo/Eldar Emric)
Men stand next to a line of trucks and buses on the Bosnian side of the border with Croatia, in Svilaj, Bosnia, Monday, Jan. 26, 2026, as drivers across the Balkans blocked dozens of border crossings in the region in protest over newly introduced European Union entry regulations.(AP Photo/Eldar Emric)

Overview

  • Coordinated blockades in Bosnia, Serbia, North Macedonia and Montenegro have stopped most cargo traffic at major crossings and the port of Bar.
  • Freight flows along the corridor linking the EU with Turkey and the Middle East have been disrupted as drivers hold lines at sites including Gevgelija and Svilaj.
  • Drivers demand exemptions or extensions to the 90-days-in-180 Schengen rule for professional drivers, while allowing medicine, live animals, weapons and explosives to pass.
  • Bosnia’s Logistika reports more than 100 deportations last year and about 100 more announced last week for overstays, with drivers saying detentions are mounting.
  • The EU’s digital Entry/Exit System began rolling out in October with full implementation expected by April, and Serbia’s prime minister has urged a special status to avoid economic damage.