Germany put in place a temporary method for checking passports along all of its land borders on Monday morning (16 September) for six months.
German Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser told the German news agency DPA that the move is meant to “fight cross-border crime and limit the amount of illegal migration”.
In the EU, these kinds of actions are supposed to be the exception. Germany is in the middle of the Schengen Area, which means that there are no longer any internal border checks between its 29 member states. Instead, visa checks are only needed at airports and at borders with other countries.
Several neighbouring countries were worried about traffic jams at the borders. For example, police in Denmark told people who cross the border to leave earlier than normal on Monday to avoid lines, according to Rizau.
Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that tighter controls at the country’s land borders are unacceptable. He also said that Warsaw would demand immediate talks with all the countries that are affected.
At the same time, Greece and Austria said they would not take in refugees that Germany turned away.
In Germany, the Council for Migration warned that the move might be against EU law:
The Council said the current policy goal of turning back migrants seeking safety at Germany’s borders is a dangerous form of populism in the fight over migration policy.
According to DPA, the German Minister of the Interior, Nancy Faeser, said that border control would be a “targeted effort.” The number of checks and how long they last will depend on the level of security in each area.
“The controls should have as little of an effect as possible on people who live near the border, commuters, and businesses,” she said.
The temporary measure was put in place by the German government in reaction to the violent attack in Solingen, North Rhine-Westphalia, on August 23. A man killed three people and hurt eight others.
The suspect was found to be a 26-year-old Syrian man with ties to ISIS. He was supposed to be sent back to Syria in the summer of 2023 but stayed in Germany instead.
Ritzau says that the case has made the political debate in Germany about migrants more heated, and on September 9, the government chose to do something about it.
At the time, Faeser said, “We are strengthening our internal security and going to keep our tough stance against irregular migration.”
Germany is surrounded by nine other countries. On or before September 16, it already had control over the borders with Poland, Austria, Switzerland, and the Czech Republic.
As of September 16, the five crossings that are still open will be controlled by France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Denmark.
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