Queues at the Border: Why Are European Countries Reluctant to Raise the Barrier?

Over a thousand trucks are waiting to enter the European Union. While Belarus is creating comfortable conditions for carriers to cross the border and complete documentation, European countries are showing clear disinterest in easing these procedures.

Poland is also breaking records. On this route, around 4,000 cars and 100 buses are stuck. Why are European states hesitant to lift the barrier? Marina Romanovskaya gathered opinions on this issue.

More than 700 trucks are waiting to enter the EU at the Lithuanian border crossings, and approximately 300 are queued at Latvia’s only checkpoint, "Paternieki." Over the weekend, just over 20% of freight vehicles on these routes crossed into the neighboring territory, compared to normal levels.

Long-distance drivers typically wait about a week to enter Latvia, a country that has historically been slow in processing documents.

Some freight trucks have already completed all necessary procedures on the Belarusian side, yet Latvia is slow to raise the barrier. Meanwhile, border control services from the neighboring country are prolonging the process, causing carriers to lose money.

Maxim Shelyuk, head of the Pskov border guard unit, remarked:

"The only reason is the slow processing and failure to meet established standards by the officials at the Latvian border crossing. The throughput capacity, according to norms, is being exceeded by 30-40%."

The Belarusian side is doing everything possible to ensure crossing is comfortable. An electronic queue system is in place, preventing drivers from idling on the roadside, unlike in neighboring countries. However, drivers have issues not only with infrastructure but also with the work of control services, which, like a photocopy, prolong the process of documentation and vehicle clearance.

Since Friday, the queue on the Polish route has grown by nearly 1,000 cars. People see this as a test of endurance from Warsaw, which has turned vacations—among other things—into a real quest. Drivers and passengers are losing their patience, but for now, those responsible for the border chaos show no signs of easing the situation.