Truck drivers across the Western Balkans on Monday blocked border cargo terminals to protest European Union entry rules they say are disrupting transport and putting their livelihoods at risk.
A driver holds a banner reading “protest” as he sits in a truck during a protest by truck drivers and transport union representatives over disruptions linked to the European Union’s new Entry-Exit System, at the North Macedonia–Greece border crossing in Gevgelija, January 26, 2026. REUTERS/Ognen Teofilovski TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
The coordinated action affected crossings in North Macedonia, Bosnia, Montenegro and Serbia, halting freight movement along a critical transport corridor linking the EU with Turkey and the Middle East.
The protests were sparked by strict enforcement of Schengen rules that limit non-EU visitors to 90 days in the bloc. Truck drivers say the cap is incompatible with the volume of freight they transport, leaving many at risk of overstaying and deportation.
More than 100 truck drivers were deported last year for exceeding the permitted stay in the EU, with another 100 deportations announced last week, according to Bosnia’s Logistika association, which represents around 47,000 transport workers.
At the Gevgelija crossing between Greece and North Macedonia, the region’s busiest border point, about 100 trucks bearing North Macedonian flags blocked the cargo terminal. Similar blockades were staged by drivers in Bosnia, Montenegro and Serbia.
Trucks are parked during a protest by truck drivers and transport union representatives over disruptions linked to the European Union’s new Entry-Exit System, at the North Macedonia–Greece border crossing in Gevgelija, January 26, 2026. REUTERS/Ognen Teofilovski
The drivers are calling for an extension of the time they are allowed to remain in the Schengen free travel area, arguing that current limits make it impossible to carry out long-haul transport without breaching the rules.
“It’s putting our economy at risk and the whole Balkans economy at risk,” said Filip Stojanov, a 26-year-old truck driver from North Macedonia. “The drivers may lose their jobs, the transport companies will shut down.”
Policemen direct trucks during a protest by truck drivers and transport union representatives over disruptions linked to the European Union’s new Entry-Exit System, in Gevgelija, the North Macedonia–Greece border crossings, January 26, 2026. REUTERS/Ognen Teofilovski
The blockade underscores growing frustration among Western Balkan transport workers, who warn that without changes to EU entry regulations, supply chains and regional trade could face continued disruption.
