The Ukrainian-Hungarian border / Photo from Ukraine's State Border Service
The drivers and their minibuses are in the customs control zone until all the customs formalities are resolved.
The work of the Tysa checkpoint on the Ukrainian-Hungarian border has been unblocked.
The checkpoint reopened at about 14:00 Kyiv time on May 31 after minibuses' drivers who were blocking traffic in protest at the customs' actions had spoken with the head of the Chop border detachment, the press service of the detachment told UNIAN.
"[They] have already left the checkpoint and all vehicles have resumed traffic," the press service added. The drivers and their minibuses are in the customs control zone until all the customs formalities are resolved, it said.
As was reported earlier, minibuses' drivers blocked the Tysa checkpoint on the Ukrainian-Hungarian border in protest against the customs' actions.
Large lines of vehicles for entry into Ukraine were formed at Tysa several days ago, according to the TV news service TSN.
The problems at the checkpoint were allegedly caused by customs officers' decision not to "allow parcels [delivered through drivers] that they had used to let through" across the border.
The customs officers, in turn, say they work in compliance with the requirements of the current legislation and do not carry out any additional checks or operations other than those specified by law.
The acting chief of the Zakarpattia customs office says there are no changes in the legislation, just they "decided to put things in order so that drivers do not use profiteering on the transportation of parcels and do not violate the rules of crossing the border."
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People whose cargo meets the requirements were let to "pass without problems."
Other drivers were asked to return to Hungary or leave the goods at a transfer warehouse. However, they did not agree to either of the options, the customs say.
On the morning of May 31, minibuses' drivers blocked the Tysa checkpoint at the border as they were not let into Ukraine.
After that, the reserve forces of the Ukrainian border guard arrived at the checkpoint. According to local media, now there are up to 50 minibuses that have failed to undergo customs clearance.
Traffic across the border remained thus blocked.
Earlier, the chairman of Zakarpattia Regional State Administration, Oleksiy Petrov, instructed the local law enforcement agencies to create mobile response groups to check citizens' parcels.
Customs officials explain that some drivers refuse to declare goods they are transferring across the border and do not submit documents for customs checks, which caused delays at the border.
Ukrainian journalist Vitaliy Glagola said on Telegram that the dispute was the result of an unexpected decision by the customs officers to give up the "traditional" practice of allowing citizens' goods across the border. "Previously, bus drivers carrying parcels used to pay EUR 500 per bus to enter Ukraine without a customs clearance procedure, but now they are required to clear the contents of the minibus at a price of EUR1 per kg, but they refuse to. The line for entering Ukraine has stretched for several kilometers on the Hungarian side. The Hungarians do not let anyone into the territory of their checkpoint," he said.
According to him, now drivers and passengers of the buses with parcels sent by Ukrainian migrant workers from Italy refuse to undergo customs clearance and block the exit from the checkpoint for other citizens. There are 50 such buses there.
All the reserve forces of the Chop border detachment and additional 50 border guards from the city of Lviv have arrived at the checkpoint. They are using their vehicles and shields not to let the buses leave Tysa without customs registration.
Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said at a press conference that smuggling at the customs had to be stopped.