Controls at the Croatian-Slovenian border began this weekend. Slovenia made that decision after Italy in order to raise the level of security due to possible terrorist attacks. Drivers from Bosnia and Herzegovina fear that they will again wait in queues and that they will waste both time and money.
Free Schengen passage is suspended at Slovenia’s borders with Italy, Croatia and Hungary. Shorter columns are recreated. It’s a cold shower for all drivers from Bosnia and Herzegovina. They rarely see their family anyway, says Ibrahim Alukić, and now they will additionally waste time and money.
“I’ve been driving a truck since 2017. First, we wait a long time at the BiH border, we lose time and money. Now the Slovenians are introducing controls again. You’re late home, the family is waiting,” says Alukić.
Border controls will be in place until October 30. After that, a possible extension will be decided. This also worried Nikola Grbić, president of the Association for International and Internal Transport of the Republic of Srpska.
“If we drove certain goods to Germany for three days, now we will take seven. If companies are waiting for raw materials or if the goods are due to be there in two or three days, now they will wait even longer. This creates a problem for us. Drivers who drive, drive on daily wages. Whether it was a day or ten at the border crossing, we have to pay for it, which is an additional cost for us,” said Grbić.
According to the authorities in Slovenia, the reason for the suspension of Schengen is the increased threat of terrorist attacks due to the war in the Middle East. This decision followed a chain reaction, after Italy introduced the same measures to Slovenia.
“Now even the biggest skeptics have realized that the devil has taken the joke because of what is happening in Israel, that is, in Palestine, where most likely a lot of terrorists will come within this first wave of refugees.”, said Janez Jansa from Slovenian Democratic Party.
All border crossings will continue to be open for citizens of the European Union, but those from third countries will be able to cross only 14 road and 8 rail crossings while the new regime lasts. Otherwise, they face fines.
What the path of our businessmen and citizens towards the European Union will look like, how many borders they will cross and how long they will stay at them, remains to be seen. We should not forget that 70% of the domestic economy takes place through Croatia and Slovenia.
