Germany: Tightened Border Enforcement Begins
Germany has begun to enforce additional temporary border checks with France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Denmark, and the Netherlands. Border checks were already in place with Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria, and Switzerland....
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Facts
- Germany has begun to enforce additional temporary border checks with France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Denmark, and the Netherlands. Border checks were already in place with Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria, and Switzerland.[1][2]
- These checks are initially expected to last six months and are intended to 'put a stop to criminals and identify and stop Islamists at an early stage,' according to Germany's Interior Minister. Measures include federal police checks and the creation of temporary structures.[3]
- According to DW, cars will be asked to slow down and, if police decide to stop a car, drivers are required to have their papers checked.[4]
- Unauthorized migration reportedly declined in Germany by 21.7% over the first eight months of 2024, with Interior Minister Nancy Faeser claiming Germany's first wave of border checks to have prohibited 30K unauthorized entries.[1]
- Following criticism from other EU member states concerning the policy, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has stated that while 'dispute is necessary' Germany will 'continue this successful approach.'[5]
- While the European Union's (EU) Schengen Area guarantees free movement for all member nations bar Cyprus and Ireland, the bloc allows members to temporarily reintroduce borders in 'the event of a serious threat to public policy or internal security' as a 'last resort.'[6]
Sources: [1]Reuters, [2]Al Jazeera, [3]France 24, [4]Dw.Com, [5]www.euractiv.com and [6]Migration and Home Affairs.
Narratives
- Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by Ecre. Germany is doing the best it can under the circumstances. While criticism from fellow EU and Schengen countries is understandable, Germany, due to its robust welfare system, is a particularly desirable destination. As many of these migrants are refugees, Germany's checkpoint system will give it time to review asylum applications while also preventing bad actors from entering the country.
- Left narrative, as provided by Inews.Co.Uk. Clampdowns on immigration perpetuate harmful myths about migrants and crime which are exploited by far-right extremists to push an anti-immigrant agenda, despite evidence showing that immigrants commit fewer crimes than the general population. Such measures only fuel xenophobia and divisiveness, drawing on historical fears of the 'other' to justify discrimination.
- Right narrative, as provided by Europeanconservative. It's remarkable that Germany's liberal coalition government — the one that up until recently smeared the AfD Party for wanting to combat illegal immigration — is now blocking immigration nationwide. While this temporary policy certainly won't fix the problem, it's nice to see the government at least pretend to protect Germany's borders. This will only increase the popularity of AfD.
