Germany has implemented new border controls at all its land borders, effectively restricting free movement within the Schengen Zone and drawing criticism from neighboring European countries, CNN reports.
The move, announced by Interior Minister Nancy Faeser, aims to strengthen internal security and combat irregular migration.
Starting Monday, Germany will now have internal border controls with France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Denmark, in addition to existing controls with Austria, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, and Poland. The new regulations will last for six months initially, giving authorities the power to reject individuals at all land borders.
This shift in German policy marks a major departure from the country’s approach during the 2015-2016 migrant crisis, when under Angela Merkel’s leadership, Germany welcomed over a million new arrivals. The current government, led by Chancellor Olaf Scholz, is now responding to growing public concerns about migration and a surge in far-right sentiment.
Faeser said that the move is necessary to protect German citizens from the dangers posed by Islamist terrorism and serious cross-border crime. However, the decision has sparked tensions with Germany’s European partners.
Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk has expressed strong disapproval, saying that the introduction of tighter controls is unacceptable and calling for urgent talks with all affected countries. Greece and Austria have also voiced their opposition, warning that they will not accept migrants rejected by Germany.
The Council for Migration in Germany has also raised concerns about the potential violation of EU law, describing the policy as “a dangerous form of populism in the migration policy debate” and calling for an “evidence-based debate on migration policy in Europe.”
The move comes after a series of high-profile incidents, including the fatal stabbing attack in Solingen on August 23, where a Syrian man with alleged links to ISIS killed three people.
