Even after political change the former Iron Curtain has not been completely permeable. During the Cold War the socialist countries protected the border to prevent emigration and espionage. Till the end of 2007 the western countries protected their external Schengen Border, in many parts identical with the former Iron Curtain, from illegal immigration and smuggling, supported by their eastern partners. At the end of 2007 the Schengen Border moved farther eastwards making the former Iron Curtain Former more permeable along the Czech, Estonian, Hungarian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Polish, Slovakian and Slovenian border.
Images: 1,2: Border soldiers, Austria/Hungary, Austria/Slovakia (Klaus Michalek 2007)