Since Monday morning, there have been border controls at all German external borders. The federal government justified this with a high burden of illegal migration. But not all neighboring countries understand this.
Since October last year, random checks have been carried out at Germany’s land borders with Poland, the Czech Republic and Switzerland, and since 2015 at the border with Austria.
Now the borders with France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Denmark and the Netherlands have also been added.
Stricter border controls, initially until the end of February 2025
Anyone who wants to enter Germany must be prepared for the police to want to see their documents. The officers also check vans and trucks and see what they have loaded. All this happens randomly, so not everyone is stopped. These stricter border controls will initially apply until 28 February 2025.
“Migration events are worrying”
German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) justifies the move with the many refugees who have recently come to Germany. She wrote a letter to the European Commission. It says: The migration situation is worrying and there are too few accommodations for the people. The already tense situation has deteriorated even further.
Faeser also responds to the attack in Solingen. Suspected violent criminals from abroad are not allowed to enter the country if possible. The Minister of the Interior therefore wants to better manage illegal migration, she writes.
Criticism from Germany’s neighbouring countries
In Germany’s neighbouring countries, the stricter border controls have not generated much enthusiasm. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk called the plan unacceptable.
Criticism also came from Austria. The government in Vienna announced: If Germany now wants to send back more people at the border with Austria, Austria is not prepared to take them back.
Juncker concerned: “End of Schengen logic”
And former European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker also criticized the extension of border controls on Deutschlandfunk. He understands this, but if the controls become systematic, it would put an end to the Schengen logic. He would have preferred an agreement between all EU interior ministers and, as Juncker literally said, a dose of healthy European common sense.
Only Orbán praises German border controls
The reaction from Hungary, on the other hand, was very different: Prime Minister Viktor Orban – who has been trying for years to make any migration from outside the EU to Hungary impossible – wrote on X to German Chancellor Olaf Scholz: “Welcome to the club!
Which club Orban meant exactly, he left unclear. Because he is the only national-conservative head of government in the EU who speaks out so clearly against immigration and also regularly violates EU legislation on migration.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
