Why are border controls being extended? The Schengen area, within which people can travel without identity checks, allows for temporary controls to be introduced in the event of threats to public order or security. In 2015, Germany did so for its border with Austria because of the large influx of refugees. Then, from October 2023, the country introduced checks on its borders with Poland, the Czech Republic and Switzerland, and currently still has these in place on the border with France, due to the Olympic Games. Since Monday, the German government has extended controls to all its land borders (Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg and the Netherlands). To avoid blocking trade between countries, Berlin is applying targeted rather than systematic checks. Ideally, the aim is to prevent people who are not entitled to lodge an asylum application from entering Germany, so as to avoid having to bear the financial and possibly ‘social’ costs of receiving them and having to expel them later.
As a Berlin correspondent for the French and Swiss press since the late 1990s, I cover a wide range of economic, political and social issues, with a particular focus on the German business and labour market. My areas of interest include co-determination, digitalisation, demographics and ESG/DEI policies.