The German government announced on Monday the temporary introduction of controls at all land borders of the German country in order to “reduce irregular migration and improve internal security“from September 16th.
The German Interior Ministry announced on Monday that it had notified the European Commission (EC) of its intention to introduce temporary border controls with France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Belgium and Denmark over the next six months, in addition to those already in place in the border areas with Switzerland, Austria, the Czech Republic and Poland.
“We are strengthening our internal security and maintaining our firm course against irregular immigration,” Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said during an appearance in Berlin where she announced the new controls. The Social Democratic minister stressed that the measure includes the possibility of rejecting migrants at the border who are arrested with false documents or who do not have a visa allowing them to enter Germany.
Since October 2023, when temporary controls were introduced at the borders with Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria and Switzerland, 30,000 people have already been rejected who intended to enter irregularly from these countries, he assured. Faeser clarified that at present, the German police can only reject at the border people who do not file an asylum application.
However, he indicated that his ministry was studying how to achieve this in the future “massive rejections” and that he has found a legally sound formula that he will present on Tuesday at a meeting with the opposition and regional governments. Since a suspected jihadist killed three people in a knife attack last month in western Germany, migration has once again been high on the country’s political agenda.
Shortly after, the Interior Ministry presented a package of measures aimed at strengthening the right to firearms, reducing benefits granted to asylum seekers already registered in other countries and facilitating the expulsion of violent criminals, which was approved this Monday by the Council of Ministers.
Meanwhile, the Christian Democratic opposition has proposed government coalition of social democrats, greens and liberals a state pact on immigration, on the condition that in future those seeking asylum will also be turned back at the German borders.
In the regional elections on September 1 in the states of Saxony and Thuringia, the far right Alternative for Germany (AfD)a party that has made tougher immigration policy a pillar of its political program, were the first and second largest forces respectively, with a third of the votes. It is also expected to do well in the state of Brandenburg, where the vote will take place on September 22.
Temporary controls at the border with Austria will be in force until November 1st and at the borders with Switzerland, the Czech Republic and Poland until December 15, although the Interior Ministry indicated that these measures should also be extended to the rest of the borders.
