As Europe Shuts Borders, Travelers Struggle to Get Home
As Europe Shuts Borders, Stranded Travelers Struggle to Get Home
(Bloomberg) -- As much of Europe took the drastic step of closing borders to contain the coronavirus, many of the continent’s citizens struggled to get home.
In a one-time move to let thousands of Romanians and Bulgarians waiting on its border with Austria get home, Hungary agreed to lift its travel ban on Tuesday. Hundreds of cars from Baltic nations were still queuing on the Polish-German border.
The frustration on the borders highlighted how accustomed European Union citizens had become to unfettered internal frontiers. Millions of east Europeans left the region over the past decade for higher-paying jobs in the west, with many only returning home for visits.
The situation also strained relations among governments in the region, which usually keep friendly ties. Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania sent diplomatic complaints to Poland asking the country to adhere to its earlier pledges to let their citizens pass through.
“Negotiations continue for a fourth day -- we’re reaching out to the Poles on every possible front,” Lithuanian Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis said. “But there’s no explanation. The Poles have likely decided to keep their country isolated.”
Poland responded late on Tuesday, saying it would open more border crossings “very soon to ease congestion,” government spokesman Piotr Muller told Polsat News.
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