Entry – Before the start of border controls: Concerns about the effects – Politics

Herzogenrath/Düsseldorf (dpa/lnw) – The border controls with Belgium and the Netherlands that begin on Monday are causing concern in the border region of North Rhine-Westphalia. “We are concerned that border controls could change the character of our region,” a spokesman for the city of Herzogenrath told the German Press Agency. “There is a risk that it will represent a burden for the many thousands of citizens of both countries and also have a negative economic impact.”

In Herzogenrath, the German-Dutch border runs right through the middle of the city. “Many people from both cities live and work on the other side of the border every day or do cross-border errands,” said the spokesman. The border is not visible and fluid in many places. The city does not want to see old border huts and walls reactivated. “Instead of reviving the EU’s internal borders, solutions should be found to protect the EU’s external borders.” What is not achieved at the external borders can hardly be made up for internally.”

Border controls initially for six months

Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) has ordered that there will be border controls at all German land borders from Monday in order to further reduce the number of illegal entries. The additional controls will initially last for six months. This applies to France, Denmark, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. Such controls already exist at the borders with Austria, Poland, the Czech Republic and Switzerland. They are not actually planned in the Schengen area.

In North Rhine-Westphalia, the federal police say they will begin checking from midnight on Monday. “That does not mean that everyone who crosses the border will be checked.” There will not be full checks. “But everyone must be prepared to be checked without reason when crossing the border,” said a spokesman for the dpa. There are no stationary checkpoints; the concept is mobile.

“We will carry out random checks at different points in the flow of traffic at specific times,” said the spokesperson. Patrol cars, police motorcycles and civilian vehicles will be used for the additional checks. Commuter and tourist traffic should be affected as little as possible.

Challenge for cross-border commuters

“We were shocked by the news that Germany wants to carry out increased controls along all federal borders,” said a spokeswoman for the Euregio Rhine-Waal. It was “bad news” for the region. Open borders have greatly promoted social and economic ties. Cross-border commuters who cross the border every day for work, study or school would feel the consequences. The measure contradicts the idea of ​​a borderless Europe.

The German-Dutch association Euregio Rhein-Maas-Nord also fears problems for cross-border commuters. Border residents are used to working, shopping, filling up, visiting their family or a doctor on the other side of the border, said an association spokesman. It would therefore make sense to reintroduce a commuter card. These could already be issued by employers during the Corona pandemic so that cross-border commuters could cross the border easily and without major controls.

Fear of economic damage

In principle, the controls must be implemented in such a way that the rights of people in the Schengen area are not compromised. “This includes, above all, free travel through the member states,” said the Euregio Rhine-Meuse-North. The tourism association in North Rhine-Westphalia expects waiting times in some places due to the temporary controls, it said when asked. It is not yet possible to predict the extent to which this will affect travel and leisure behavior, particularly in the regions near the border.

Open detailed view

The German-Dutch Chamber of Commerce says that the sudden introduction of border controls has taken Dutch entrepreneurs by surprise and put them on alert. Lengthy controls could cause economic damage to both Dutch companies, for which Germany is the world’s most important export market, and German companies. Even if the intensity of the controls has not yet been finally determined, they would cost trade time and money.

Logistics industry: waiting times and traffic jams

According to the logistics association TLN, around 100,000 trucks cross the German-Dutch border every day. Each hour of waiting costs 100 euros per truck driver, according to the Chamber of Commerce. The NRW Freight Forwarding and Logistics Association warns that the planned border controls could lead to delays in truck deliveries. Experience from the corona pandemic and the European Football Championship has shown that such controls can cause long waiting times and traffic jams.

However, since it is currently unclear how intensive the controls would be, the effects on freight transport cannot be estimated. There is a lack of planning security, according to the association. The Association of Transport and Logistics NRW stated: “Logistics needs open borders.” “As an industry, we are dependent on the free movement of goods.” “If that no longer works, I would no longer know how we are supposed to ensure supplies and the economy,” said a spokesman for the association.

© dpa-infocom, dpa:240914-930-232150/1