The Commission has been tasked with delivering a catalog of member states' actions aimed at combating unlawful immigration.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has defended the proposed expansion of border checks. "Unregulated immigration isn't what we're aiming for," Scholz, an SPD member, stated during a Q&A session with locals in Prenzlau, Brandenburg. If, like the previous year, about 300,000 individuals migrated to Germany, with only a portion entitled to asylum, "that's not ideal."
Consequently, it's crucial to scrutinize who merits entry. "Unfortunately, we can't fully trust all our neighboring nations to do their part correctly." He underlined that the border checks would adhere to European legislation.
German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) has mandated that border checks would be implemented at all German land borders commencing Monday, to more effectively deter unauthorized entries. The supplemental checks will initially last for six months. This applies to France, Denmark, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. Border controls are already implemented at the borders with Austria, Poland, the Czech Republic, and Switzerland. Moreover, the border with France has recently been monitored, which the federal government justified, among other reasons, due to the Olympics.
Such border checks aren't typically allowed within the Schengen area and necessitate reports to the EU Commission in each case. Germany's strategy is met with skepticism by neighboring countries. The German government argues for the checks based on security threats from unregulated immigration and human trafficking at the EU's external borders, which have led to an escalation of unauthorized border crossings in Germany, further straining the already overwhelming refugee accommodation situation.
The proposed expansion of border checks is a response to the concerns about unregulated migration, as highlighted by Chancellor Scholz. If uncontrolled migration continues, it could strain the refugee accommodation resources further.
