Border controls: Unions sound the alarm for Saxony!

Border controls: Unions sound the alarm for Saxony!

In the last few weeks, things have been simmering at the German-Polish border: the stationary border controls, which have been the focus for a long time, are leading to resentment and unrest among commuters and in the economy. Daniela Kolbe, the deputy chairwoman of the DGB Saxony, took a clear position and described the controls as a burden for employees in the region. The DGB press release highlights how cross-border commuters from Poland and the Czech Republic who commute to Saxony every day are repeatedly stuck in traffic jams and thus lose valuable working time. Truck drivers also experience massive planning uncertainty, which has a negative impact on the entire logistics chain.

But it's not just the traffic jam problem that's putting a strain on employees. The DGB boss in Saxony, Markus Schlimbach, goes one step further and speaks of an “unbearable” situation for cross-border commuters. In a report by the Saxon newspaper He also criticizes the fact that border controls also hinder international supply chains and attributes increased traffic jams and accidents in the border regions to the series of controls. "Armin Schuster, the Saxon Interior Minister from the CDU, is heavily criticized in this debate. Schlimbach accuses him of doing nothing to end the controls and instead sticking to their perpetuation, which endangers the concept of a free and open Europe."

Greek system in danger?

The repeated controls are not only at risk in Saxony. Since the Schengen reform came into force at the beginning of the year, which, among other things, provides for the abolition of controls at land borders, many have had concerns about whether these regulations will last in the long term. Reports from the European Parliament show that the goal is clear: border controls at internal borders should only be reintroduced in exceptional cases. The EU is promoting alternative measures such as targeted police checks and increased cooperation in security surveillance.

The situation could soon get worse, because Germany is not the only one to have introduced these border controls - Poland has also taken similar measures. Daniela Kolbe therefore calls for a cross-border dialogue and calls for an end to stationary controls in order to offer people and companies in the border region a perspective characterized by planning security. In the current situation, it is to be hoped that those responsible will take these important issues seriously and draw up a long-term plan that does justice to all sides.