BERLIN: Germany will extend checks at its borders by a further six months beyond March 15 due to the ongoing security situation, Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt told Bild newspaper in comments released on Monday.
The corresponding notification is currently being sent to the European Commission, the newspaper reported citing sources in the government.
“We are extending controls at the borders with our neighbouring countries - border controls are one element of our reorganisation of migration policy in Germany,” Bild quoted Dobrindt as saying.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz has sought to crack down on migration under pressure from the far-right, anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD), which is now the largest opposition party in Germany’s federal parliament. The AfD is currently polling neck-and-neck with Merz’s conservatives.
Border controls of the type implemented by Merz are generally allowed under EU law to respond to a serious threat to the public; they should, however, be temporary and a measure of last resort.
