In response to ongoing threats to public safety and public order, Germany extended border checks with Poland, the Czech Republic, and Switzerland in mid-December. These measures, initially

set to expire in mid-March, were introduced due to consistently high levels of irregular migration, human smuggling, and growing pressure on the country's asylum system. However, Interior Minister Nancy Faeser has signaled intentions to maintain these controls into 2024 and 2025.

“Our wide-ranging efforts to curb illegal migration and tackle smuggling networks are proving effective,” Faeser stated in an interview with Augsburger Allgemeine. “We will need these border checks in place until there is a significant reinforcement of the EU’s external borders.”

Phased expansion of border controls

Currently, border checks are enforced at all of Germany’s frontiers. In September 2023, Germany introduced controls at border crossings with Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg. Additional measures were implemented at crossings with Poland, the Czech Republic, and Switzerland in October 2023. Meanwhile, border checks with France were already in place due to the preparations for the Paris Olympics. Notably, Germany’s border with Austria has been under control since autumn 2015.

Minister Faeser highlighted the effectiveness of these policies, pointing out a notable rise in deportations—up by over 50% in the past two years. Photo by ErichJacobi, Wikimedia commons.