Border controls ensure hours of traffic jams near Frankfurt (Oder)!

Border controls ensure hours of traffic jams near Frankfurt (Oder)!

Frankfurt (Oder), Deutschland - The nerves of travelers and commuters on the Polish border are currently very tense. Current reports show that on Autobahn 12 near Frankfurt (or) kilometers of traffic jams. On Thursday, the vehicles were damaged over a length of around seven kilometers, and the situation remained tense in the evening. The reason for the waiting times are the border controls of the Polish border protection, which have been carried out at the border with Germany and Lithuania since Monday. This measure should continue until August 5, and the authorities warn that it may get worse, as many holidaymakers from Berlin, Brandenburg and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania will flow on the streets in the coming weeks. The ADAC already expressed concerns about the effects on holiday traffic in the region.

Federal Minister of the Interior Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) ordered the more intensive border controls in May 2023 to counter the irregular migration. Since October 2023, Germany has carried out random checks on the border with Poland. In an interview, the Federal Government's Poland representative, Knut Abraham, called for practical solutions such as more traces of termination and joint controls to defuse the situation. Brandenburg's Prime Minister Dietmar Woidke (SPD) urges measures that are supposed to prevent traffic jams.

A look at the background of the border controls

The newly introduced controls should not only regulate the migration situation, but are also related to the growing concern for internal security. Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) carried out controls at all German external borders in September 2024 to combat the dangers of Islamist terrorism and smuggling crime. These regulations apply to first six months, but could take up to two years in the event of a new threat. Travelers now have to expect random checks and carrying out a passport or identity card.

The measure that applies not only to the border with Poland, but also to all other German land borders, encounters mixed reactions in Europe. While the Federal Government considers the measure necessary, in neighboring countries such as Poland, where Prime Minister Donald Tusk described the controls as unacceptable, the waves high. Hungary, on the other hand, sees the measure as positive and greeted Germany in its perspective.

The situation on the border is complex. The current controls were created in response to the worrying migration situation and the pressure on the accommodations for refugees. The public call from Interior Minister Faeser is accompanied by an appeal to the EU to receive support in dealing with the challenges. The travelers now have to prepare for longer waiting times, while the political framework is further discussed.