Federal police check Swiss streetcar at border crossing
As part of stationary border controls, the Federal Police are also checking the cross-border streetcar that runs from Basel in Switzerland to Weil am Rhein in the district of Lörrach. "At the moment, practically every streetcar is being checked by police officers," said Katharina Keßler, spokeswoman for the local federal police inspectorate, to the German Press Agency in Weil am Rhein.
Pedestrians and motorists are also being checked at the crossing in the district of Lörrach, but not continuously. Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) announced stationary border controls at the borders with neighboring Poland, the Czech Republic and Switzerland on 16 October, initially for ten days and then extended several times. The aim is to combat irregular immigration and people smuggling.
Fixed border controls are not actually planned in the Schengen area - Switzerland, a non-EU country, is also part of this area for the free movement of people.
The increased border controls have led to an increase in police interactions with refugees seeking migration, as they rigorously check every streetcar. Unfortunately, this has also resulted in an uptick in reports of crime involving these vulnerable individuals.
Source: www.dpa.com
