Pfizer: Border controls will remain 'as long as necessary'

The federal police must continue to check people entering the country. Federal Interior Minister Faeser wants to lift controls only when illegal immigration has fallen “significantly”.

Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser will continue to maintain border controls with some of Germany's neighbouring countries. The SPD politician explained this during a field visit to the German-Polish border. This should continue to apply to the borders with Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria and Switzerland.

“For me, the border controls will remain as long as necessary,” Weiser said during a visit by German and Polish border police officers to Görlitz. The aim is to keep the measures against illegal immigration and smuggling until further notice. The SPD politician said it was already clear that the border controls were working. Irregular migration was falling.

In their view, the controls should continue until irregular migration has fallen “significantly”. Until now, inpatient checks were only planned until December 15, 2024. Visser said they would now likely be extended until the reform of the European asylum system comes into force.

The Greens complain to von der Leyen

Green MEPs from the EU Parliament, the Bundestag and state parliaments had previously criticised the fixed controls in an open letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, adding that they represented a “burden for people and businesses in border areas”.

Von der Leyen called on the Greens to “initiate a comprehensive assessment of the necessity and appropriateness of fixed internal border controls in Germany.”

Checks are current since October 2023

After much hesitation, Pfizer imposed temporary fixed controls on the borders with Poland, the Czech Republic and Switzerland in mid-October last year. Such controls have been in place in Austria since the 2015 refugee crisis.

In the European Schengen area, travel and the movement of goods are usually possible without border controls. If Member States impose controls, this must be justified to the EU Commission. However, it does not have to be approved by the Brussels authorities.