Germany has decided to keep border checks with the Czech Republic, Poland, and Switzerland in place until March 15, 2025, ensuring they remain during February’s pivotal elections. The Interior Ministry insists the move is essential to curb illegal immigration.
Interior Minister Nancy Faeser explained the extension aims to strengthen protections at the EU’s external borders. First introduced at the Austrian border in 2015, these controls expanded to other borders in 2022 and now cover Germany’s entire land border. Chancellor Olaf Scholz backed the decision, calling the timeline “a very long time.”
Authorities claim the checks have paid off, reducing asylum applications by 40% in the past year. Police have intercepted 37,000 illegal entrants and caught 1,600 smugglers, including 225 arrests at the Czech border alone. Germany notified the European Commission of its decision, with Faeser emphasizing the need for stronger EU-wide border protections before such measures can be rolled back.
Germany isn’t alone in reinstating internal Schengen border checks; eight other countries, including France, Austria, and Denmark, cite illegal migration and security risks as reasons for their temporary controls. With immigration expected to dominate Germany’s upcoming elections, these measures reflect growing national and regional concerns about border security.
