From Monday, there will be controls at all German borders. The federal government wants to use this to combat illegal migration. The impact on traffic should remain minimal.
Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser does not expect the border controls starting on Monday to result in any major restrictions for commuters and travelers. There will be “no long traffic jams, but smart controls,” the SPD politician told Bild am Sonntag. The border controls will be random, “as the current situation requires.” However, a statement from her ministry said that temporary disruptions to border traffic could not be ruled out.
Previously, former EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, among others, had warned of “massive inconvenience for commuters.” Criticism of the plan also came from citizens and tourism associations in the border regions as well as from several European countries.
Border controls initially until spring 2025
Faeser had ordered the expansion of controls to all German land borders in order to further curb the number of illegal entries. The aim of the controls is to “further reduce irregular migration, stop people smugglers, put a stop to criminals, identify and stop Islamists,” she told “Bild am Sonntag”.
The additional controls will initially last for six months. They affect the land borders with Denmark, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. Controls have been in place at the borders with Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria and Switzerland for some time, and there were also controls at the border with France recently because of the Olympic Games.
The Interior Ministry points out that the police at the borders with Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria and Switzerland have detected around 52,000 illegal entries and carried out almost 30,000 rejections since October 16, 2023. People are rejected, among other things, if they do not present valid or forged documents or if they want to enter without a valid residence permit.
The measure is also receiving special attention because border controls are not normally provided for within the Schengen area. They must be reported to the EU Commission.
Scholz calls neighbors
Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) defended the expansion of controls and justified it with the need to further curb irregular migration. Government sources said that Scholz had telephoned several European heads of government on the issue of border controls, including Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer and Luxembourg Prime Minister Luc Frieden. There was also a telephone conversation with Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (CDU). In the coming days, Scholz also plans to telephone the heads of government of all other neighboring countries, it was said.
CDU leader urges end-of-year review
CDU leader Friedrich Merz called on the federal government to present an assessment by the end of the year as to whether the controls had led to a noticeable reduction in the number of illegal entries. Merz told “Bild am Sonntag”: “Only rejections at our borders would have an immediate effect.”
A meeting between the government, the Union as the largest opposition force and federal states on migration policy failed on Tuesday. The Union is insisting on extensive rejections of asylum seekers at the German borders – according to the federal government, this would not be permissible under European law.
Instead, the traffic light coalition wants to speed up the process for so-called Dublin transfers. This involves the return of asylum seekers by those EU countries that are responsible for processing their asylum applications – usually this is the state where someone first set foot on European soil.
Concern about Schengen area – expert doubts effect
The German plans are not met with understanding everywhere: “I am not a fan of border controls,” said former EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, referring to the 50,000 German commuters between Germany and Luxembourg alone. In the Schengen area, other countries have also reintroduced temporary border controls. “I view this with concern,” said Juncker. It should not be the case “that borders are again created in people’s minds and hearts.”
Migration researcher Gerald Knaus doubts the hoped-for effect of the controls. The expert told Deutschlandfunk: “Anyone who expects that border controls will lead to a reduction in irregular migration is creating an expectation that cannot be fulfilled.”
Source: Stern
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