The German Minister of Interior, Nancy Faeser, has continued to remain firm against the resumption of permanent border controls with Poland and the Czech Republic.
According to Minister Faeser, resuming permanent border controls with the two neighbouring countries should be prevented as this will have a negative impact on inhabitants in these areas.
Such opposition from Minister Faeser comes after the states of Saxony and Brandenburg said that they want to introduce border controls due to the high number of irregular border crossings.
However, despite such complaints, Minister Faeser said that she has been working together with the Polish and Czech counterparts on the matter. She also noted that several measures have been taken, such as introducing random checks and increasing controls on areas that register more irregular crossings.
In addition to the above-mentioned, Minister Faeser suggested that the country should try to introduce other measures aimed at preventing irregular migration before deciding to put permanent border controls in place.
The introduction of permanent border controls with Poland and the Czech Republic would make the border crossing process more difficult. Those crossing the border would have to wait for a longer period of time as their documents need to be checked, causing inconveniences for those who cross the border several times a week.
The government also previously said that the reintroduction of border controls with neighbouring countries, more specifically Czechia, is not necessary and the right measure for controlling irregular migration.
A Federal Ministry of Interior spokesperson said that the reintroduction of internal border controls is not a measure that is being considered by the government.
Data show that about 10,000 irregular asylum seekers have entered the state of Saxony in the first six months of this year alone. Moreover, the number continued to increase in the second half of the year, too, with the German police saying that the majority of irregular asylum seekers are from Syria, Afghanistan and Türkiye.
Due to the increased number of irregular border crossings, Saxony decided to deploy more police officers to the areas along the border with Poland and the Czech Republic.
Germany is the number one destination for many migrants reaching the EU through irregular routes.
The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees revealed that in July alone, it received 23,647 first-time asylum applications. On the other hand, from the beginning of the year until the end of July, the Office said that it received a total of 175,272 first-time applications.
