Germany introduced enhanced control measures at its land borders on September 16. These measures will be in effect for six months and may be extended if necessary.
Why is Germany strengthening control?
At the end of August, a knife attack in the city of Solingen resulted in three deaths. The suspect was a Syrian illegal migrant who had been denied asylum and was scheduled for deportation a year earlier. However, he managed to evade law enforcement and avoid deportation. The “Islamic State” claimed responsibility for the attack, but German intelligence services are skeptical of this claim.
A series of armed attacks by migrants in Germany in recent months has sparked public protests and contributed to the rise of far-right and far-left parties in the eastern part of the country in recent elections. Additionally, there are Bundestag elections next year.
In response, the federal government has approved an extensive package of measures, including strengthening border controls. Berlin has emphasized that its integration capacity is limited due to the acceptance of 1.2 million refugees from Ukraine.
The Schengen Agreement allows Europeans to travel across the continent without a passport, but Schengen countries have the right to introduce border checks if they believe national security is at risk. Several countries have already exercised this right.
What will change for travelers?
The new border checks will affect everyone crossing Germany’s land borders. This may cause traffic jams on highways and delays for rail travelers, although experiences from similar checkpoints suggest that the impact may not be severe.
Germany shares land borders with nine countries: Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Switzerland, Austria, the Czech Republic, and Poland. Since October last year, German police have recorded 52,000 cases of illegal border crossings.
Migration experts interviewed by Euronews explained the reasons behind this move and discussed its effectiveness. Svenja Niederfranke, a German Council on Foreign Relations migration expert, stated: “This is a very significant political signal that we are reclaiming control of our borders.”
Are these checks adequate?
“Research shows that such border checks usually do not catch major offenders because they know where the controls are and find alternative routes,” adds Niederfranke. She also warns that these checks could have many negative consequences.
“People must travel back and forth for work or transport goods. It’s frustrating to navigate border controls daily,” she noted.
Will there be political consequences?
Poland, Greece, and Austria have sharply criticized the German government’s decision. Niederfranke points out that controls on the German-Austrian border have existed for a long time, and Vienna’s outrage may be related to upcoming elections.
On the other hand, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban welcomed the fact that “German Chancellor Olaf Scholz agrees with his policy.”
Experts also noted that EU officials are unhappy with introducing border controls at the EU level.
A Temporary Measure
Gigi Gigiadze, a senior researcher at the Economic Policy Research Center and former Deputy Foreign Minister and Ambassador to Denmark and Iceland, told “Fortuna” that this is still a temporary measure and that Europe will not restrict free movement long term.
“I doubt these decisions will significantly impact the four main principles of Europe—freedom of capital, services, people, and goods. These are the core values of the European Union. I don’t think these values will be questioned in the long term, as that would damage the idea of the EU itself.
The European Union has faced numerous challenges since its inception. The migration wave is not the first such challenge. There was a severe wave about 10-15 years ago, and that’s when the review of this policy began. External migration is inherently a significant challenge.
Look at what’s happening: Belarus is directly pushing and facilitating illegal migrants to enter Polish territory. This is a direct, aggressive act, and Poland has also begun reinforcing its physical border.
In general, attitudes are becoming stricter and harsher. Everyone who enters the EU tries to make Germany their final destination.”
Can the EU block these measures?
“The European Commission is always dissatisfied when a member state introduces temporary border controls because it contradicts the idea of the Schengen Agreement itself.
An EU member country must prove that there is a severe threat to public order and security. Only on this basis can it justify the introduction of restrictions.”
According to Svenja Niederfranke, it is unlikely that the European Commission will take legal action against Germany, given other similar precedents. If the EU decides to sue Germany, we will hear about it in the next two months.
Which other Schengen countries are doing the same?
The Schengen area includes all EU countries except Ireland and Cyprus, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland. San Marino and the Vatican are de facto members due to their location on the Apennine Peninsula.
Germany is not the only Schengen country to have temporarily introduced border controls. At least seven other states have done the same.
- Austria: Austria has introduced border checks with the Czech Republic until October 15 and Slovenia and Hungary until November 11.
- Denmark: Denmark has increased border security at all internal borders.
- France: Checks at all internal borders have been in place since May 1 and are expected to continue until October 31.
- Italy: Due to the risk of terrorist activity linked to the situation in the Middle East and the potential risk of terrorists entering through illegal migration flows, Italy has enhanced border security until December 18.
- Norway: Entry into the country has been restricted since May 12, and checks will continue at least until November 11.
- Slovenia: Checks at the Croatian and Hungarian borders were introduced at the end of June and are expected to remain in place until December 21.
- Sweden: Sweden has implemented measures from May 12 to November 11.
The Strictest Asylum Regime in History and a Mini-Schengen Zone
The Netherlands is also taking measures, following Germany’s decision. The Dutch government calls for removing the asylum clause from EU rules “as soon as possible.”
The four-party cabinet has pledged to establish “the strictest asylum regime in history” to curb illegal migration. It is unlikely that other countries will agree to fulfill Amsterdam’s demands, as excluding the Netherlands from the migration system would lead to a wave of asylum seekers in neighboring countries, creating a crisis.
The government says the Netherlands can no longer handle the “large influx” of asylum seekers. In 2023, approximately 48,500 asylum seekers and their family members entered the country. Syrians, Turks, Yemenis, Somalis, and Eritreans are the most common nationalities.
The Netherlands also plans to work with like-minded and neighboring countries to tackle the influx of illegal migrants and create a “mini-Schengen zone” to strengthen security monitoring at border crossings.
