Germany: Start of extended border controls

However, commuters should not expect major traffic disruptions, promised German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD), who has ordered the expansion of controls. The controls are legally possible from midnight on Monday. However, the respective Federal Police Directorate will decide exactly when the first police officers will start their work at the border.

Based on migration

Faeser reported the controls to the EU Commission last Monday as required, justifying them by pointing out that irregular migration is a major burden on Germany. They are initially planned to last for six months.

However, it has been shown in the past that once such controls have begun, they usually do not end so quickly. The police have been carrying out checks at the land borders with Poland, the Czech Republic and Switzerland since mid-October. Police have been stationed at the border with Austria since autumn 2015.

In Austria it has been common practice for years

According to the Schengen Agreement, this is not generally provided for. However, several other Schengen states, such as Austria, also carry out controls at their land borders, justifying this partly with the aim of limiting irregular migration, partly with the threat of Islamist terrorism or with risks in the context of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine.

Stationary border controls enable so-called rejections. This is less costly than ensuring that someone who has already entered Germany illegally leaves again.

According to the German Interior Ministry, there have been more than 30,000 rejections at the German border since October 2023. Foreigners who do not apply for asylum and those who are subject to an entry ban are currently being rejected. The “traffic light” coalition had rejected a demand by the Union faction for comprehensive rejections due to concerns about European law.

Scholz sees understanding among neighbouring countries

In talks with neighboring countries about expanding border controls, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) says he is finding understanding for the effort to get irregular immigration under control. He has “begun to speak very carefully with the heads of the neighboring countries, including the President of the European Commission,” he told journalists in Samarkand during his trip to Uzbekistan. Austria and Poland had previously expressed concerns.

“Everyone knows that we are operating within the framework of European law, but we are making the most of our possibilities.” That is also necessary,” explained Scholz. “Everyone understands that the number of people coming to Germany is too large and that it is therefore in the German government’s understandable interest to ensure that we get these things under control through good management of irregular migration.” This also includes this new principle of carrying out such controls at all German borders.”