Berlin [Germany], September 16 (ANI): Germany has introduced new border controls, effective Monday, as part of a move to tighten migration rules.
The country will now check people entering from all its land borders, including those with France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Denmark, in addition to existing controls with Austria, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, and Poland, reported CNN.
Berlin will have the power to reject people at all land borders, a statement from the Interior Ministry said. The new rules will last for six months initially.
The move marks how far Germany has shifted in recent years on the flashpoint issue of migration.
The German government under Angela Merkel welcomed more than one million new arrivals during the migrant crisis of 2015-2016 but is now following other European countries in toughening up rules as it faces a surging far-right opposition.
It comes after Germany on Friday struck a controlled migration deal with Kenya, which will see Berlin open its doors to skilled and semi-skilled Kenyan workers.
Further, Interior Minister Nancy Faeser announced the changes and stated that Germany was “strengthening internal security through concrete action” and continuing its “tough stance against irregular migration.”
She signalled the move was aimed at protecting German citizens from the dangers posed by Islamist terrorism as well as serious cross-border crime.
The move has put the unity of the European bloc to the test and attracted criticism from Germany’s neighbours.
Germany, a member of the European Union’s Schengen area, has the option to temporarily reinstate border controls within the zone if it faces a serious threat to public safety or internal security. This measure is intended as a last resort, according to EU rules. In essence, Germany can reintroduce border checks if necessary, but only under exceptional circumstances and as a final measure to ensure security, reported CNN.
After Gemany’s announcement, Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that the introduction of tighter controls at land borders was unacceptable for Poland, adding that Warsaw would request urgent talks with all countries affected. Both Greece and Austria have warned that they would not accept migrants rejected by Germany.
Closer to home, Germany’s Council for Migration warned that the plan risks violating EU law.
“The current policy goal of turning back (migrants) seeking protection at Germany’s borders represents a dangerous form of populism in the migration policy debate,” a statement said, which called for an “evidence-based debate on migration policy in Europe.”
Germany’s government, led by Chancellor Olaf Scholz, has been spurred into action to tackle uncontrolled immigration after receiving criticism for not doing enough to tackle the issue.
In response to a notable surge in migrant arrivals, particularly from the Middle East and Ukraine, Germany has adopted a more stringent approach to migration. The country’s shift in policy has also been influenced by recent terrorist attacks motivated by Islamic extremism, prompting a reassessment of its migration strategies.
The coalition government is seeking to counter the country’s burgeoning far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), which is known for its explicitly anti-immigrant and anti-Islam agenda.
The new security package came in the wake of a fatal attack in the western city of Solingen, in which three people were stabbed to death on August 23.
The suspect was identified as a 26-year-old Syrian man with alleged links to ISIS, who had previously been due for deportation. (ANI)
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