Explained: Germany’s strategy to bolster border controls amid immigration

Germany announced on Monday (September 9) it would extend temporary checks to all its land borders starting on September 16 initially for six months. A day later the country announced proposals to strengthen the enforcement of EU asylum rules, including detaining asylum seekers at the border while authorities assess whether they haven’t already registered in another EU country. 

Germany aims for the new measures to discourage more asylum seekers and curb irregular migration. The controls would be implemented within what is normally an area of free movement, the European Schengen zone – a cornerstone of the European Union. The Schengen zone allows some 420 million people in 29 European countries to travel freely without facing border checks.

“I am not expecting the end of Schengen in general, rather a less functional space of free movement,” Marcus Engler from the German Centre for Integration and Migration research has stated in response to the measures.

Germany shares its land borders with nine countries. Germany’s plans may put European unity under strain – migrants may be sent back to the EU country of original registration, which are typically entry and transit countries with less financial resources such as Italy, Spain, Greece, Cyprus or Bulgaria. 

What kind of border checks will be implemented and how might this impact EU travel?

Police are expected to ramp up random checks on cars, buses or trains crossing the borders. 

Anyone deemed to be entering Germany irregularly could be refused entry, or detained at or near the border if they say they want to claim asylum in the country. Police can consult Europe’s shared fingerprint database, Eurodac, amongst other tools.

The controls could result in some traffic delays and jams, as well as racial profiling. 

Why is Germany tightening its borders now?

Analysts say the crackdown on irregular migration is likely politically driven ahead of Germany’s upcoming state and federal elections. Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s center-left Social Democrats (SPD) are battling to retain power as the far-right and the conservative opposition see increasing support among German voters.

Polls reveal migration is voters’ top concern in the eastern German state of Brandenburg, which is expected to hold elections on September 22. 

Earlier this month, elections in the eastern states of Thuringia and Saxony put the far-right, anti-migration Alternative for Germany (AfD) party on top, while strongly going against the parties that currently make up Germany’s federal coalition government. AfD success in Thuringia also marked the first time a far-right party won a state election.

A recent fatal knife attack by a Syrian asylum seeker, whose application had been rejected, has stoked nationwide concerns over immigration and reignited debates about cracking down on irregular migration and bolstering deportations. The attacker, who is suspected to have ties to the so-called “Islamic State” extremist group, stabbed three people to death on August 23 at a city festival in Solingen, a city east of Düsseldorf in North Rhine-Westphalia. 

The German government is now planning faster deportations of rejected asylum seekers who have committed crimes and slashing social benefits.

What are the next steps?

The German government still needs to negotiate its plans to detain asylum seekers at the borders with the 16 regional governments, as their authorities would be responsible for implementing the measures. Additionally, the government has indicated its intent to consult with European partners, whose cooperation would be crucial for the potential return of asylum seekers.

However, Germany can proceed with the border controls immediately, as Berlin has already informed the European Commission of its decision.

What are the latest asylum trends?

The EU received over 1.14 million asylum applications in 2023, the highest figure since 2016, according to the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA). 

Despite a surge in asylum applications in 2023, application numbers have recently declined, with May seeing a reduction of one-third compared to the peak levels in autumn 2023. Germany continued to lead in the total number of asylum requests, accounting for 22 percent of all applications. Ireland, meanwhile, logged the highest number of applications per capita.

It is also important to note, however, that the EU has exempted Ukrainians from the standard EU asylum application process.

Germany’s high net immigration in 2022 was caused by the approximately 1,098,000 Ukrainians who came to Germany as refugees following Russia’s invasion on February 24, 2022, meaning Ukrainian refugees made up 41 percent of all immigrants in Germany in 2022. Temporary protection for Ukrainians is expected to end in March 2025.

Also read: Is any part of Syria safe for deportations?

How are other EU countries responding? 

In response to Germany’s border plans, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban praised the move on the social media platform. “Scholz, welcome to the club! #StopMigration,” he wrote.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, meanwhile, has slamemd Germany’s decision to reintroduce broad border checks. The solution to irregular migration cannot be to “unilaterally abolish” the Schengen area, Mitsotakis said Talk Radio.

Mitsotakis also rejected allegations that Greece is employing illegal pushbacks to discourage migrants from reaching the country via Turkey.

“The Greek coastguard has rescued thousands of people, and it is insulting to spread conspiracy theories,” the Greek prime minister said. Athens has not yet commented on how the country would react if Germany requests to return more migrants (under the Dublin Regulation) who have been granted asylum in Greece.

Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk on Tuesday said his country doesn’t need stricter border controls with Germany, but rather more cooperation from the German government and other EU partners in strengthening the bloc’s external borders. Tusk appealed for urgent consultations with other impacted nations and requested greater support for Poland’s immigration policies. 

Czech Interior Minister Vit Rakusan has said that he did not expect any concrete change as checks will be random. Both Poland and the Czech Republic already have detention centers to hold undocumented migrants or those who are waiting for their asylum requests to be verified. 

With AP, DPA and Reuters 

Also read: The Dublin Regulation – your questions answered