Faced with a sharp increase in illegal immigration, the German government strengthened its surveillance this Monday, October 16: it is now planning stationary controls at its borders with Poland, the Czech Republic and Switzerland.
Until now, Germany, a favored destination for migrants coming from Syria and Afghanistan in particular, only practiced stationary controls at its border with Austria. This exceptional measure, which requires the approval of Brussels, was put in place in the wake of the migrant crisis of 2015/16 because Austria was then the preferred location for illegal crossings.
“German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser today notified the European Commission of temporary border controls with Poland, the Czech Republic and Switzerland,” her ministry announced in a statement. “In this way, the federal police can use the same means on the borders with Poland, the Czech Republic and Switzerland as those already in place with Austria,” he writes. “The federal police can now implement a package of fixed and mobile controls flexibly and depending on the situation,” declared Nancy Faeser, quoted in the press release.
For border controls with Poland, the Czech Republic and Switzerland, this notification applies from Monday for ten days, it can be extended for two months, specifies the ministry. As for Austria, Germany extended its notification for six months from November 12.
From January to early October, German police counted around 98,000 illegal arrivals in Germany, already exceeding the number reached in 2022 which was around 92,000.
Lively debate in Germany
For the borders with Poland, the Czech Republic and Switzerland, Nancy Faeser had long rejected the idea of fixed controls due to the impact on cross-border workers as well as on trade with these countries: these measures in fact slow down significantly increase traffic and create traffic jams. However, faced with the influx of migrants in recent months, Berlin strengthened mobile border controls on its eastern flank at the beginning of October and planned to strengthen joint patrols with Poland and the Czech Republic. Poland, like the Czech Republic and Austria, has also strengthened border controls with another neighbor, Slovakia, in recent weeks.
The increase in illegal arrivals is causing a lively debate in Germany, whose reception capacities are running out. In this country, the municipalities and regions, which have also absorbed the arrival of a million Ukrainian refugees since February 2022, say they are at the limit of their reception capacity. The situation benefits the far right, which obtained record results in two regional elections a week ago. “The number of people currently coming to us is too high,” Chancellor Olaf Scholz recently insisted, presenting measures to accelerate the expulsions of people rejected from asylum.