Grass-roots frustration over the re-imposed internal border controls between France and Germany spilled onto the streets of Kehl on Sunday, 23 November. Around 600 students, apprentices and young cross-border workers— organised by the Young Europeans (Jeunes Européens) chapters in Strasbourg and Baden-Württemberg— marched from Kehl railway station to the Europa-Bridge, brandishing EU flags and banners reading “Borders belong in history books” and “Commuting is not a crime.”
France first restored temporary checks on its land borders for the Paris 2024 Olympics, citing terrorism risks; Berlin followed in October 2024, arguing the need to curb irregular migration. Although EU law allows six-month derogations, both governments have rolled the measures over repeatedly, turning what was meant to be exceptional into semi-permanent controls. The result, commuters say, is unpredictable queues— sometimes adding 45 minutes to what used to be a ten-minute tram or bicycle ride.
![‘Don’t Touch My Schengen’: Franco-German Youth Protest Weekend Border Checks in Kehl]()
Sunday’s demonstration is the first youth-led action to focus specifically on the economic and social cost of the checks. Speakers from local engineering firms and the Strasbourg Chamber of Commerce warned that delayed deliveries and missed client meetings are already costing the Upper Rhine economy “millions of euros” a year. The protest comes ahead of a scheduled December Council of the EU review of Schengen governance rules, where Germany and France are expected to defend their continued derogations.
For global-mobility managers, the message is clear: periodic delays on the Strasbourg–Kehl axis and the parallel A35/A5 motorway corridor are likely to persist through at least spring 2026. Companies shuttling staff between French and German sites should build extra buffer time into travel schedules, especially for early-morning shifts. Long-term assignees whose residence-permit clocks depend on minimum physical-presence days should keep meticulous records; German authorities have so far been flexible when commuters can document border waits with timestamped photographs or digital toll receipts.
The protest also highlights reputational risk: EU citizens born after 1995 have spent most of their lives in a border-free Europe and tend to view checks as politically motivated rather than security-driven. HR and government-relations teams may wish to monitor whether Sunday’s event galvanises wider civil-society pushback that could influence the upcoming Council debate or the European Parliament’s position in 2026 Schengen-reform negotiations.
France first restored temporary checks on its land borders for the Paris 2024 Olympics, citing terrorism risks; Berlin followed in October 2024, arguing the need to curb irregular migration. Although EU law allows six-month derogations, both governments have rolled the measures over repeatedly, turning what was meant to be exceptional into semi-permanent controls. The result, commuters say, is unpredictable queues— sometimes adding 45 minutes to what used to be a ten-minute tram or bicycle ride.
Sunday’s demonstration is the first youth-led action to focus specifically on the economic and social cost of the checks. Speakers from local engineering firms and the Strasbourg Chamber of Commerce warned that delayed deliveries and missed client meetings are already costing the Upper Rhine economy “millions of euros” a year. The protest comes ahead of a scheduled December Council of the EU review of Schengen governance rules, where Germany and France are expected to defend their continued derogations.
For global-mobility managers, the message is clear: periodic delays on the Strasbourg–Kehl axis and the parallel A35/A5 motorway corridor are likely to persist through at least spring 2026. Companies shuttling staff between French and German sites should build extra buffer time into travel schedules, especially for early-morning shifts. Long-term assignees whose residence-permit clocks depend on minimum physical-presence days should keep meticulous records; German authorities have so far been flexible when commuters can document border waits with timestamped photographs or digital toll receipts.
The protest also highlights reputational risk: EU citizens born after 1995 have spent most of their lives in a border-free Europe and tend to view checks as politically motivated rather than security-driven. HR and government-relations teams may wish to monitor whether Sunday’s event galvanises wider civil-society pushback that could influence the upcoming Council debate or the European Parliament’s position in 2026 Schengen-reform negotiations.
