How the Opening of Borders Changed Europe – and the Challenges It Faces Today

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Appel à Communications: Les relations industrielles dans un monde du travail en mutation

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How the Opening of Borders Changed Europe – and the Challenges It Faces Today

Urban Development and Mobility

11 JUN 2025

An article by science.lu marking the 40th anniversary of the Schengen Agreement, featuring insights from researchers — including two from LISER: Dr. Christophe Sohn and Dr. Christian Lamour of the Urban Development and Mobility (UDM) department.

How the Opening of Borders Transformed Europe – and the Challenges It Faces Today

Migration, security, sovereignty: the Schengen Area is now facing major new challenges. Luxembourg-based researchers — Prof. Dr. Birte Nienaber (University of Luxembourg), Dr. Christophe Sohn (LISER), Dr. Christian Lamour (LISER), and Prof. David Howarth (University of Luxembourg) — offer a clear analysis of how European border policies have evolved.

Forty years ago, five European countries signed a landmark agreement in the small town of Schengen, Luxembourg. This foundational text paved the way for an area without internal borders, which today includes more than twenty countries. What began as a bold experiment in free movement has become a powerful symbol of European integration, profoundly shaping how people live, work, and travel across the continent.

But today, this border-free space is under strain. Europe faces growing tensions at its external borders and intense political debates around migration, security, and national sovereignty. On the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the Schengen Agreement, we invited Luxembourg experts in geography, political science, and border studies to reflect on the past developments, current realities, and future outlook of this emblematic zone.