Germany – According to the Reuters press agency, Germany plans to to extend its border controls with Poland, the Czech Republic and Switzerland to stem a migration surge and combat people-smuggling until Dec. 15, a spokesperson for the interior ministry said on Monday.
Notification to the European Commission
The German government should notify the European Commission, as these measures are intended to be temporary and contravene European Union law.
According to the German Interior Ministry, these controls are particularly necessary at the Polish border because of an increase in illegal crossings. These measures have already prevented 1,100 illegal border crossings since controls were stepped up on 16 October.
Germany, the preferred destination for migrants
Until now, Germany, a preferred destination for migrants from Syria and Afghanistan in particular, has only carried out stationary checks at its border with Austria. This exceptional measure, which requires the approval of Brussels, was introduced in the wake of the 2015/16 migrant crisis, when Austria was the preferred destination for illegal immigrants.
Between January and the beginning of October, the German police counted around 98,000 illegal arrivals in Germany, already exceeding the number reached in 2022, which was around 92,000.
Consequences for public debate in Germany
This is provoking heated debate in German society and some notable political developments. The AfD, which opposes illegal immigration, is now Germany’s second largest party according to the polls, and recorded record results in two regional elections in October. The AfD is now ahead of Chancellor Olaf Sholz’s SPD, and trails only the CDU.
Olaf Scholz seems to be reacting to this new political situation, recently declaring: „The number of people currently coming to our country is too high”.
Other countries are following suit
While freedom of movement within the Schengen area is one of the symbols and pillars of the European Union, other countries have also tightened national border controls in recent weeks.
Poland, along with the Czech Republic and Austria, has also tightened border controls with another neighbour, Slovakia.
