Germany may extend its border controls beyond December 15, 2024, as Interior Minister Nancy Faeser suggested that these measures could remain in place until new EU asylum regulations are implemented later next year.
Faeser emphasized that border controls with Austria, Poland, Switzerland, and Czechia are playing a crucial role in curbing irregular migration and should continue "as long as necessary."
"For me, the border controls should remain as long as necessary. We have achieved great success in reducing irregular migration [and] the fight against smugglers has been very effective," stated Faeser.
Currently, Germany maintains border controls with Austria, Czechia, Poland, and Switzerland. The controls with Czechia and Poland are scheduled to last until December 15, while those with Austria are set to end on November 11. Additionally, Germany introduced border controls with France in light of the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris, and the country also maintained border controls at all its borders during the UEFA European Football Championship in June this year.
However, with the recent plans from the German Interior Ministry, December 15 may no longer be the final date for these border controls to remain in effect.
This decision has drawn criticism from Germany’s Green politicians, who recently expressed their concerns in a letter to the European Commission. They argued that Germany, along with seven other European Union countries, is not complying with the Schengen Border Code. The Green politicians pointed out that the reported successes of the border controls are questionable and often lack statistical proof, noting that there are signs of "detours, double counting, and possibly illegal rejections."
"Moreover, a new expert opinion shows that the intended effect of border controls and the success reports related to them are very questionable and often not statistically proven," they stated.
The letter was signed by several prominent Green politicians, including MEPs Anna Cavazzini and Erik Marquardt, Members of the German Bundestag Filiz Polat and Marcel Emmerich, and members of the Brandenburg State Parliament Sahra Damus. The Green parliamentarians acknowledged that introducing border controls for events like the UEFA or Olympic Games can be justified as a short-term measure. However, they argued that "there should be an exit from the partly years-long stationary border controls at the end of these events."
Last month, Christian Dürr, leader of the parliamentary group of the junior coalition partner Free Democrats (FDP), along with some of Germany's interior ministers, called for the continued extension of border checks. Dürr argued that these controls are essential in helping Germany manage irregular migration effectively.
By fLEXI tEAM
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