Dobrindt praises Poland: Border controls against migrants are effective!

Dobrindt praises Poland: Border controls against migrants are effective!

Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt is satisfied with the new Polish border controls with Germany and Lithuania, which are seen as an important step in the fight against illegal migration. Dobrindt emphasizes that Germany and Poland are working closely together to address the challenges surrounding migration. As diesachsen.de reports, the Polish authorities put their controls into effect at 52 border crossings as early as midnight.

The arrest of a suspected smuggler on the border with Lithuania was particularly noticeable, an example of the successful measures taken by Polish border control to date. Dobrindt emphasizes that these controls represent a temporary measure that is currently necessary to reorganize migration. A step that the Polish government also resolutely implemented in response to the random checks at the German border.

The German border controls

Germany has been carrying out random border controls since October 2023, initially on the borders with Poland, the Czech Republic and Switzerland. In a further expansion, the federal government plans to introduce controls at all German borders from mid-September 2024, as reported by zdf.de. Interior Minister Nancy Faeser sees the measure not only as a response to increasing illegal migration, but also as protection against Islamist terror and serious crime.

However, the reactions from neighboring Austria are rather negative. Interior Minister Gerhard Karner announced that he would not accept rejected people at the German border. Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer also expressed concern and stated that Austria would also close its borders in the event of an emergency clause.

Reactions from the EU

The developments are causing a stir across Europe. More and more countries are relying on border controls, and Belgium is also planning increased controls. This trend has put the EU in a difficult position as the Schengen agreement, which regulates freedom of travel within Europe, is being called into question. Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk is concerned and criticizes the German plans as dangerous. He raises the question of whether Europe can continue to tackle the refugee crisis together while at the same time restricting freedom of travel. The situation remains tense, and sueddeutsche.de reports of a planned summit on the Zugspitze, which could possibly result in even stricter asylum policies.

In a Europe that is currently affected by renewed migration movements, clear measures and a joint approach are required. Discussions about returns and the creation of a stable asylum system will become more relevant across European borders in the coming weeks.