Germany reinstated border controls on Monday for six months in an effort to combat illegal immigration, raising concerns of a potential domino effect and tensions within the European Union, AFP reports.
Mobile and stationary police checks will now be in place at borders with France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Denmark, adding to the existing controls on borders with Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria, and Switzerland.
These measures have caused concerns among border region residents, particularly in cities like Kehl and Strasbourg, which are closely connected by the “Bridge of Europe.” Local mayors are urging that these controls not hinder residents’ mobility and daily lives.
German police promise selective checks rather than systematic ones to avoid disrupting traffic. In the east, near the Polish border, protesters have voiced their displeasure, holding signs that read “The future is not in closing borders.”
Berlin argues the controls are necessary to protect internal security from threats of terrorism and cross-border crime. Germany has recently experienced a series of Islamist attacks, including a knife attack in Solingen by a Syrian national.
These moves come as Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s government tightens immigration policies amid growing support for far-right parties in regional elections. Germany, long known for its open-door asylum policy, is now stepping back under domestic political pressure.
“Germany cannot take in unlimited refugees,” stated Interior Minister Nancy Faeser, noting that asylum applications have decreased by 21.7% in the first eight months of the year.
Germany’s decision has already sparked reactions across Europe. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban welcomed the move, while Austria and Poland criticized it as “unacceptable.”
