Germany wants to extend its border controls beyond March

“Around 1,800 smugglers have already been arrested and around 40,000 people have been turned back at the borders,” said the German Interior Minister.

The German government, which is at stake in the February 2025 elections, announced on Monday December 30 that it wanted to extend controls at the country's borders beyond the deadline scheduled for March, highlighting successes against illegal immigration. “Environ 1 800 smugglers have already been arrested and around 40 000 people were turned back at the borders”assured the Minister of the Interior, Nancy Faeser, to the newspaper Augsburger Allgemeine.

The number of evictions has jumped by more than 50% in the last two years. Germany is the only country in Europe to have “deported dangerous criminals to Afghanistan for the first time”, welcomed the social democratic minister. Regarding the current debate on the return or not of Syrian refugees, given the vagueness surrounding the intentions of the new power, the minister estimated that “many refugees will be able to return” and will be accompanied if “the hope of peace in Syria becomes reality”.

In September, Germany reestablished controls at all of its borders for six months to combat illegal immigration. The European Commission then recalled that measures of this type “must remain strictly exceptional” and pleaded for them to be “proportionate”.

In principle, such internal border controls are prohibited within the Schengen area, but in the event of threats to public order or security, they are possible for a period of six months, with extension for a total period n not exceeding two years. Monday, Nancy Faeser estimated that the extension would be necessary “until the protection of the EU's external borders is clearly strengthened”.