Germany yesterday reintroduced temporary controls on its western and northern borders as part of efforts to combat irregular migration and cross-border crime, the German Ministry of the Interior said.
The restrictions are part of a series of measures Germany has taken to toughen its stance on irregular migration following a surge in arrivals, in particular people fleeing war and poverty in the Middle East, and a rise in support for the opposition far-right and conservatives.
The checks now apply at Germany’s land borders with France, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Denmark for an initial six months, marking a further setback to free movement within the EU.
Photo: Reuters
They were already in place at crossings with Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria and Switzerland.
Federal police will conduct these controls flexibly, basing their actions on the current security situation and focusing on minimizing disruption to commuters, travelers and trade, the ministry said.
Traffic was flowing freely at borders yesterday.
Travelers are advised to carry valid identification, and non-EU citizens should have their entry documents, including visas, ready for checks, the ministry said.
The changes come against a backdrop of declining asylum applications in Germany, which fell 21.7 percent in the first eight months of the year.
German Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser said the numbers had fallen, thanks in part to controls introduced last year, which blocked more than 30,000 unauthorized entries.
“That is why we will expand our temporary border control to include all of Germany’s land borders, as I ordered today,” she said in a statement.
“My order is also intended to protect against the acute threat of Islamist extremist terrorism and serious cross-border crime,” she added.
The measures have prompted criticism from Germany’s neighbors. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has called for urgent consultations with other affected countries, which fear having to absorb more asylum seekers and the impact on trade.
Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer warned that if Germany introduced measures to send more immigrants back across their shared border, Vienna would reciprocate by sending more people eastward toward the Balkans.
Border checks with Austria are scheduled to run until Nov. 11. Similarly, inspections at the borders with Poland, the Czech Republic and Switzerland are to continue until Dec. 15.
The German Ministry of the Interior has implied that there would likely be further extensions.
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