Moroccan truck drivers say new European visa rules are making it harder to do their jobs and are now threatening a nationwide strike.
A transport group said drivers could stop work on May 5 for 24 hours. The issue is simple: many drivers can no longer stay long enough in Europe to complete their routes.
Under current Schengen rules, non EU drivers can only spend 90 days in Europe over a six month period. That might sound generous, but for truck drivers constantly moving between countries, those days add up fast.
Once they hit the limit, they have to stop working, even if they’re in the middle of a job.
The problem is getting worse as Europe rolls out new border controls that track entries and exits more strictly.
At the same time, Moroccan transport companies say visas are becoming harder to get and slower to process, leaving drivers stuck and trips cancelled.
That combination is starting to hit the sector directly. Drivers lose time. Companies lose contracts. European competitors step in.
The transport group says the planned strike is a warning. If nothing changes, it could escalate.
The European Commission has already acknowledged that the rules don’t fit jobs like trucking, where workers need to move constantly and often stay longer than 90 days.
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