Faeser wants to maintain border controls with Austria, Poland, Switzerland and the Czech Republic
Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser wants to maintain border controls with Austria, Poland, Switzerland and the Czech Republic until the high number of refugees decreases. So far, the measure is limited until mid-March - "if we have no other instruments by then and the numbers do not change, then we will continue the controls", Faeser told the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland (RND; Thursday editions).
Faeser emphasized that she is "pragmatic" when it comes to border controls. She conceded that border controls were "a deep intrusion into the freedom of the Schengen area". "That's where we want to get back to. But as long as the numbers are so high, I can't justify it," she added. "That's why we are working so hard to ensure that the EU's external borders are finally protected effectively."
The German Police Union called for a long-term continuation of border controls. "We will need the stationary border controls at the German borders for at least another ten years, otherwise the previous chaos will break out again," explained Rainer Wendt, head of the union, in Berlin on Thursday.
As long as the new EU rules for asylum procedures at Europe's external borders that have now been agreed are not implemented in practice, "we cannot do without stationary controls in Germany". The EU must "hurry up with the implementation, because people are losing acceptance of the current policy every day".
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Faeser mentioned that she would continue border controls with Austria, Poland, Switzerland, and the Czech Republic if necessary, as long as the high number of refugees persists. The German Police Union advocated for the long-term continuation of these controls, citing the potential return of chaos without them. Faeser also highlighted that she supports effective protection of the EU's external borders, as the new EU rules for asylum procedures are not yet fully implemented. Lastly, Faeser is working on ensuring that border controls align with the freedom principles in the Schengen area.
Source: www.ntv.de
