Germany expands border controls to curb irregular migration and extremism risks

BERLIN – The German government ordered temporary controls at all land borders on Monday, expanding the controls already in place at some borders. This is a response to irregular migration and to protect the country from extremist threats, it said.

“We are strengthening our internal security through concrete measures and continuing our tough stance against irregular migration,” said Interior Minister Nancy Faeser at a press conference.

The ministry said it had informed the European Union on Monday of the order to introduce border controls at the land borders with France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Belgium and Denmark for a period of six months, starting next week on September 16.

In addition, there are already existing restrictions at the land borders with Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria and Switzerland.

“Until we achieve strong protection of the EU’s external borders with the new Common European Asylum System, we must strengthen controls at our national borders even further,” said Faeser.

She pointed out that since last October, more than 30,000 people trying to cross the border have been turned away in Germany.

“This served to further limit irregular migration and to protect against the acute dangers posed by Islamist terrorism and serious crime. We are doing everything we can to better protect the people in our country from this,” she said.

The order came at a time when the coalition government under Chancellor Olaf Scholz is under pressure to take a tougher stance on irregular migration.

Last month, three people died in a fatal knife attack in Soligen. The perpetrator was a Syrian asylum seeker who claimed to have been inspired by the terrorist group Islamic State.

Just recently, a gunman was fatally wounded in a shootout near the Israeli consulate in Munich. Authorities believe he planned the attack on the consulate on the 52nd anniversary of the attack on the 1972 Munich Olympics.

Germany has taken in large numbers of refugees from the Middle East over the past decade, but now it is facing a political backlash, with a far-right party gaining popularity. That party, the Alternative for Germany, won its first state election in Thuringia earlier this month and also scored strongly in Saxony.

In June, Scholz announced that the country would resume deporting criminals from Afghanistan and Syria after a police officer was killed and four other people injured in a knife attack by an Afghan immigrant.

Germany deported Afghan nationals to their home country on August 30, the first time since August 2021, when the Taliban returned to power. The government described the 28 Afghan nationals as convicted criminals but did not provide details about their crimes.

The number of asylum seekers in Germany rose to over 350,000 last year, an increase of over 50 percent compared to the previous year. Most asylum seekers came from Syria, followed by Turks and Afghans.