The German Federal Ministry of the Interior and Community informed the European Commission that it has ordered the temporary reintroduction of border control at Germany’s land borders with Belgium, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Denmark for six months, starting 16 September 2024. Such controls have already become part of daily life at the borders with Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria and Switzerland. The complete package of stationary and mobile border policing measures, including the possibility of refusing entry at the border, will be applied at all of Germany’s land borders as allowed by EU and national law.

The grounds for ordering temporary border control are, inter alia, to further limit irregular migration and to protect Germany’s internal security. The German Federal Police are working closely and on the basis of trust with their partner authorities in Germany’s neighbouring countries. Cross-border police cooperation includes joint patrols as well as police and customs cooperation centres, among other things.

Germany’s decision to reinstate controls at its borders with all nine neighbouring countries has generated concerns. In a new commentary, the Migration Policy Institute Europe fears that the six-month border controls could not only harden into something more permanent but also could be replicated by other EU Member States.

For further details, please view the notifications of the temporary reintroduction of border control and read this press release from the German Federal Ministry of the Interior and Community.