Border checks removed to ease holiday gridlock

A police officer checks passengers at Dragonja border crossing with Croatia. Photo: Nebojša Tejić/STA

Slovenia's new government has decided to lift police checks on its borders with Croatia and Hungary effective on 12 June, ending a temporary measure that had been in place since autumn 2023.

The decision rolls back a policy that was recently extended until late December. It aims to clear up seasonal traffic jams just as the summer tourist rush begins, while shifting police resources toward more flexible, targeted surveillance.

Instead of keeping officers stationed at border booths, the government plans to rely on random checks inland that are known in EU speak as compensatory measures, data sharing with neighbouring countries, and joint police patrols.

Interior Minister Franci Matoz explained that stationary border booths were no longer the best way to handle modern security challenges, especially given a recent rise in migration along the Western Balkan route.

"We assessed that it is completely unnecessary for police officers to sit in booths at former border crossings, as illegal border crossings undoubtedly happen away from these points," Matoz said. "By shifting these officers to random checks, we will actually improve our efficiency in detecting unauthorized crossings and other illegal activities."

Matoz added that the change would not compromise safety. Instead, it will allow a higher presence of mobile police patrols on the ground across the country.

Easing congestion

Beyond security, the decision will come as a relief for tourists. Slovenia's highways are notoriously congested during the summer and long lines tend to form at border crossings as millions pass through Slovenia en route to the Adriatic.

Matoz noted that with traffic already heavy due to highway maintenance, "it is completely unnecessary for the police to create additional bottlenecks at the border."

The previous center-left government originally introduced the border checks in October 2023, pointing to a deteriorating security situation in the Middle East and heightened terrorism risks.

The move followed a chain reaction in the region, sparked when Italy first reinstated checks on its border with Slovenia for similar reasons. Italy and Austria still maintain their own temporary border controls.

Slovenia's policy reversal aligns with recent calls from the European Commission, which has urged the nine Schengen Area members currently running temporary border checks to gradually phase them out.

Brussels expects that the EU's new Pact on Migration and Asylum, along with high-tech tools like the upcoming electronic Entry/Exit System (EES) for non-EU citizens, will provide better security at Europe's external borders, making internal checks obsolete.

Slovenian authorities concluded that while global security remains a concern, alternative policing methods and modern digital tools are more than enough to keep the country safe without blocking traffic. Officials will continue to monitor regional security risks to ensure the transition goes smoothly.