Dobrindt calls for continued border controls

"The developments at Europe's external borders show that pushing back illegal migration continues to require controls," Dobrindt told the newspaper. The CSU politician had already announced the step at the end of July, when tens of thousands of migrants crossed the border from Morocco into the Spanish exclave of Ceuta in North Africa. Almost all of them returned later.

Although the borders within the EU are actually supposed to be open, all German external borders have been checked again since September 16, 2024. The then Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) ordered this in order to curb the number of unauthorized entries. In previous years, controls had already been introduced at the borders with Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria and Switzerland due to the migration situation.

Despite growing criticism, the regulation has already been extended three times - most recently until mid-September 2026. If the EU Commission does not object, the next extension of six months will apply until mid-March 2027.

According to the Schengen Code, EU member states are actually only allowed to check borders in the case of “exceptional circumstances”. The measure should be used “temporarily” and as a “last resort”.