Press
After the European Championships, controls at Germany’s external borders are to be reduced again. Criticism is coming from the Union.
Berlin – Despite numerous successful investigations, Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser wants to stop border controls again after the European Championships. The figures are quite impressive: Between June 7 and July 15, 1,112 arrest warrants were executed and around 8,300 illegal entries were registered, Faeser said. Overall, the security authorities are drawing a positive conclusion.
Faeser said that the security measures had worked in all areas. “There were significantly fewer security incidents and crimes than our security authorities had previously expected for an event involving many millions of people. The very high police presence throughout the country was a key factor in this.”
Border controls to be phased out: “Police have delivered”
“Our police delivered,” praised North Rhine-Westphalia’s Interior Minister Herbert Reul. “The fact that the European Championship was largely peaceful was a team effort by all state and federal security authorities, together with our international colleagues.” NRW had coordinated the European Championship preparations for the federal states.
Video: LKA, BKA, Soko: What do the police abbreviations mean?
With the end of the temporarily tightened controls at Germany’s external borders, the debate about long-term checks is now gaining new momentum. NRW Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst spoke out on Tuesday in principle in favour of open borders as well as “selective” and “intelligent” controls. “Anyone who wants to preserve the valuable asset of European freedom of movement for commuters, travellers, traders and companies must make the borders as impenetrable as possible for people smugglers, drug traffickers and ATM bombers,” Wüst told the Cologne City Advertiser. Anyone who wants to preserve the Europe of open borders “must take targeted and determined action against the criminals who want to exploit it.”
Border controls to be phased out after the European Championship: criticism from the Union
Parts of the Union sharply criticized Faeser’s course. The Union’s domestic policy spokesman in the Bundestag, Alexander Throm, told Focus Online: “The security situation makes it necessary for Germany to close its borders beyond the European Football Championship The Interior Minister cannot celebrate the success of the controls and at the same time allow the protection to expire.
Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder warned against the measures being phased out. According to Söder, this would be “a breach of the Chancellor’s promise to advance the protection of Germany.” For former Federal Transport Minister and current CSU regional group leader Alexander Dobrindt, the non-extension is “absolutely negligent.”
Söder and Merz call on the federal government to continue border controls
In a guest article in the Picture Söder and CDU leader Friedrich Merz declared together: “A Europe of open borders can only succeed with a Europe of secure borders.” And further: “We call on the federal government: controls at all German state borders must be continued.” The federal government must give the security forces the opportunity to “continue their successful work.” Otherwise, the security situation will “deteriorate massively.”
The Greens, however, were sceptical. “Border controls are possible on an ad hoc basis, such as now during the European Football Championship. It is good that nothing has happened in the last few weeks,” Bundestag parliamentary group vice-chairman Konstantin von Notz told the newspapers of the Editorial Network Germany.
Controls at external borders: Increased police presence in some areas until the end of the year
The Olympic Games are also a good reason to take a closer look at the borders. “In the long term, however, stationary border controls cannot be carried out in terms of personnel and also contradict the basic understanding of freedom of movement in the EU“, continued the Green politician. There are also more effective means of combating crime. “Undercover surveillance in border areas is one of them,” said von Notz.
The controls at all German borders were aimed at ensuring security during the European Championships and are scheduled to last until Friday. In addition, controls at the German-French border will also be maintained before and during the Olympic Games in Paris (26 July to 11 August). The controls with Poland, the Czech Republic and Switzerland will last until December, and those with Austria until November. (fmü/dpa/afp)
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