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Border controls: Police union sees need

The NRW Interior Minister does not want to see the barrier trees permanently down, representatives of the police demand the continuation of controls even after the EM. However, the EU has clear guidelines.

,   and  Ksenia Johnson
3 min read
Raise the shovel: A Federal Police officer controls traffic on the way to the Football European...
Raise the shovel: A Federal Police officer controls traffic on the way to the Football European Championship. Police representatives from NRW call for continuation.(Archive photo)

Discussion - Border controls: Police union sees need

Police union representatives in North Rhine-Westphalia are in favor of continuing checks at the western external borders. "We see a need for action right now because we have received a huge market for drug smuggling, especially from the Netherlands to NRW, through Rotterdam over the Iron Rhine and the autobahans," said Erich Rettinghaus, NRW state chairman of the German Police Union, to the Düsseldorf "Rheinische Post" (Friday). He referred to the investigation successes that the police achieved during controls during the European Championship.

"Permanent, around-the-clock border controls could not be staffed by us. We don't want that either. Then we would have long traffic jams, and the freedom of movement in the European Union would be restricted. But we would like to be able to actively engage at the border – with the powers of a border authority," said the chairman of the NRW regional association of the Federal Police Union, Hauke Reetz, also to the "Rheinische Post." He also spoke in favor of automatic license plate recognition of vehicles: "For that, we urgently need the legal basis. In the Netherlands, that's standard," said Reetz.

NRW Interior Minister Herbert Reul (CDU) speaks in favor of targeted interventions. "I don't want all the barriers to come down. But one shouldn't completely abandon the topic of border controls. It's a good instrument to better oversee who is coming into the country. Targeted and occasion-based controls, which make the police more visible at the state borders, should be maintained," said Reul in response to a query from the German Press Agency.

Controls during the Olympic Games in Paris

"There are already thousands crossing the border every day in the Aachen region for work, and we should not permanently nerve them and steal their time with permanent border controls just for economic reasons," said Tim Achtermeyer, state party chairman of the Greens in NRW, to the "Rheinische Post." Of course, the state must show teeth when mafia structures engage in transnational business, but one should not be naive, said Achtermeyer. A transnational investigative authority helps more against their complex networks than the policeman at the border hut with a barrier, said the NRW Green chairman.

According to the Federal Interior Ministry, conditions for targeted, temporary border controls at the Schengen inner borders must be met according to EU law, such as a threat to public order or internal security. During the Football European Championship, Bundesinnenministerin Nancy Faeser (SPD) ordered the controls. And during the Olympic Games in Paris, controls are also planned at the German-French border.

  1. The police union in North Rhine-Westphalia advocates for sustained checks at the western border, citing an influx of drug smuggling from the Netherlands as a significant concern.
  2. Hauke Reetz, the chairman of the NRW regional association of the Federal Police Union, supports active engagement at the border without advocating for permanent, around-the-clock controls.
  3. Herbert Reul, the Interior Minister of North Rhine-Westphalia, favors targeted interventions, emphasizing the importance of border controls in overseeing who enters the country.
  4. Achtermeyer, the state chairman of the Greens in NRW, argues against permanent border controls in economically motivated areas, suggesting that transnational investigative authorities would be more effective against complex mafia networks.
  5. Faeser, the Bundesinnenministerin, ordered targeted, temporary border controls during the Football European Championship, and similar controls are planned for the Olympic Games in Paris according to EU law.
  6. The German Police Union highlights the importance of automatic license plate recognition of vehicles for effective border control, noting its implementation in the Netherlands.
  7. Reul acknowledged the potential disruption of traffic and freedom of movement in the European Union resulting from persistent border controls, but emphasized the need for targeted, occasion-based controls.
  8. Rettinghaus, the state chairman of the German Police Union, pointed to the success of drug smuggling investigations during the European Championship as evidence for the importance of border control.

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