2024-09-10 17:45:41
On Tuesday, the EU Commission took note in defense of the fact that the federal government has imposed controls on all German borders. When asked several times, a spokesperson repeated the legal situation according to the Schengen Borders Code. Border controls must be “serious and comprehensive,” he said, adding that the qualification is “totally different.” When it comes to the question of whether rejections are permissible, for example of people who are already registered in another country, the spokesperson casually refers to the Dublin rules without giving an answer.
This is in stark contrast to the strong condemnation of Hungary, which has recently threatened to put illegal immigrants on buses and drive them to Brussels. This is “unacceptable,” the spokesman said. “Such measures would clearly breach EU law if implemented.” It would also violate the principle of “sincere cooperation” and undermine confidence in the security of the entire Schengen area.
They are in contact with Hungary to change the government. There are still contacts with Germany, but there is no clear indication that the Council is trying to sway Berlin from its decision. The same applies to EU member and German neighbor Poland: Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk called the federal government’s plans for stricter border controls to reduce irregular migration unacceptable on Tuesday. He will begin consultations as quickly as possible with all countries that will be affected by such a step. The Schengen agreement will be effectively suspended, Tusk said. “What Poland needs is not increased controls at our border, but rather greater participation by countries like Germany in the security and protection of the external borders of the EU.”
Study in the Netherlands
The embassies of the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg confirmed that Germany had informed them of the controls at their common borders. The Hague government worked further. A spokesman for Marjolein Faber (PVV), the minister responsible for asylum and migration, said the German approach “is in line with our goals”. “It is very understandable that Germany is taking measures to limit migration. We are having the same discussion and we are also taking action for a reason,” he said.
The Netherlands is happy to work together with Germany “to stabilize immigration laws”. The leader of the biggest party, Geert Wilders, declared on Platform X: “Good idea, we have to do it too!”
The four parties that make up the Dutch government have agreed to implement “the strictest asylum procedures and the most comprehensive asylum management package ever”. To do this, he wants to ask for a special procedure that will allow him not to use the European asylum law – the EU Commission has already rejected this. Other states will also have to agree to this. During the election campaign, Wilders campaigned for asylum seekers to return to the border with Germany. This is how many immigrants came to the country. So the federal government will have to hope that it will stand with immigrants if it makes rejections that exceed the current practice.
Border controls with Luxembourg should not be confusing
In Luxembourg, which depends on tourists, the announcement of border controls caused concern. The Grand Duchy’s Interior Ministry said Germany had promised “that unnecessary disruption to border traffic should be avoided and should not take place on the bridges to Luxembourg.” The Federal Police will “keep the impact on border road traffic, life and work in the border area “as low as possible”. During the Corona crisis, the closure of the border crossings between Germany and Luxembourg led to a major conflict.
In Germany, people are well aware of the severity of the measures taken against their neighbors. Dirk Wiese, deputy leader of the SPD’s parliamentary party, said in advance that border controls are effective and they make sense in terms of security policy. “But it’s also clear: border controls in the Schengen area should not be a permanent solution that we use again and again.”
The police unions, which are essentially doing extra work for the officers due to the strain, have now expressed their approval. The vice president of the German Police Association, which is responsible for the federal police, believes that the expanded border controls are “overdue”. “Ms. Faeser’s move is smart and also increases pressure on the coalition. And it is a strong signal for Europe, especially for the neighboring German cities, which realize that things cannot continue as before,” said Heiko Teggatz to the “Rheinische Post”. The president of the police union, Jochen Kopelke, told the newspaper: “We have enough troops. We can control this from daily business. “
The chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Michael Roth, is clearly critical. The de facto cancellation of Schengen is “very bad,” he wrote on X.
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