Migration - Intensified EM border controls end - Criticism in the Southwest
With the easing of intensified controls at German borders in the north, the debate about long-term checks at border crossings has gained momentum in Baden-Württemberg as well. State Justice Minister Marion Gentges (CDU) refers to the decreased number of asylum applications in the past few months and the police presence at the borders.
According to the Federal Interior Ministry, thousands of unauthorized entries were prevented during the EU Championship, numerous smugglers were temporarily arrested, and hundreds of open arrest warrants were executed. In the opinion of Gentges, the decreased asylum numbers could be linked to the controls.
"The decrease in asylum applications we are currently observing could only mean a brief respite for us," said the minister responsible for the Migration issue. "We cannot predict how the situation will develop further." Worldwide, there are more people on the move than ever before.
"Speaking of a trend reversal would be wrong, as the access numbers at the EU external borders are still extremely high," added the CDU minister. "But the numbers clearly show that border controls are effective."
Some border controls to be lifted
Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) has ordered temporary border controls at the German-French border to ensure security in conjunction with French authorities during the Olympics in Paris, which begin on July 26 and end on August 11.
However, the border controls at the borders to Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg will be lifted starting on Friday. Instead, targeted controls for document checks will be implemented, as announced. At the land borders to Austria, Switzerland, Czechia, and Poland, border controls will continue to be in place to limit irregular migration and combat smuggling crimes.
The controls are temporary for Austria, Czechia, and Poland until December 15. They were reintroduced in mid-October 2023. At the Austrian border, border controls have been in effect since autumn 2015 and are valid until November 11.
Number of refugees decreased
According to the State Justice Ministry, the number of asylum seekers in the past six months and compared to the previous year has significantly decreased. A total of 36,319 people were registered in the entire year 2023, while only 10,445 had been registered by the end of June. "We assume that these controls have had an effect in the asylum sector in Baden-Württemberg, leading to significantly reduced access numbers," the ministry stated.
Baden-Württemberg's Interior Minister Thomas Strobl (CDU) also defends the controls as an important step. "We need them until we have a sustainable solution at the EU external borders," said the CDU colleague of Gentges. "The controls will not solve all problems and are not a panacea, but they are a building block."
From the perspective of the Refugee Council Baden-Württemberg, these demands are "symptomatic of the current deterrence political tendencies in German refugee policy". The legal situation is clear, said Co-Managing Director Anja Bartel: "As soon as people express an asylum application, their rejection at the border is definitively prohibited. If all those involved in border controls adhere to the law, then these measures should have no effect on the number of incoming refugees."
Police Unions Disagree
From the perspective of the Police Union (GdP), the CDU's demand for personnel and equipment is lacking. Sustainable border controls cannot be carried out. The smaller police union DPolG disagrees: "We have seen how effective the controls were and what the need is," said DPolG-State Chairman Ralf Kusterer. The measures are "personnel-intensive but security-politically necessary".
This applies not only to unlawful entries and smugglers, but also to cross-border crime in general. It is naive to believe that internal borders play a minor role in unlawful entry. "Who comes to Switzerland and is subject to expulsion will either cross the Rhine to the right or to the left," said Kusterer.
Temporary border controls at Schengen internal borders, according to statements from the Federal Ministry of the Interior, imply a serious threat to public order or internal security. The instrument is also only time-limited and is to be used as a last resort.
- State Minister Marion Gentges from the CDU party in Baden-Württemberg believes the decrease in asylum applications could be due to increased border controls.
- According to the Federal Interior Ministry, significant efforts were made during the European Football Championship to prevent unauthorized entries and combat smuggling.
- Nancy Faeser, the SPD's Federal Interior Minister, has temporarily reinstated border controls at the German-French border due to the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris.
- Despite the lifting of border controls at some EU nations, checks will continue at the borders with Austria, Switzerland, Czechia, and Poland to limit migration and combat smuggling.
- The number of asylum seekers in Baden-Württemberg has decreased significantly over the past six months, as stated by the State Justice Ministry.
- From the perspective of the Police Union, sustainable border controls require adequate personnel and equipment, a belief not shared by the smaller police union DPolG.
- TheDTO-Border Control Agency in Switzerland is working closely with other European countries to address migration and border security issues in the southwest of Europe.
- The SDP in Germany has criticized the CDU's hardline stance on asylum and migration, citing international obligations and human rights concerns.
- The city of Stuttgart, located in Baden-Württemberg, is preparing for the 2028 European Football Championship, which will include enhanced security measures near the city's border controls.
- Marion Gentges, the CDU's Interior Minister in Baden-Württemberg, and her SPD counterpart Nancy Faeser have different approaches to border control and asylum issues within the European Union.
