Germany considering tightening border controls

Rumours abound in Germany of reintroducing stricter rules on free movement of migrants. Chancellor Olaf Scholz under pressure from coalition partners to crack down on the number of people coming into the country.

A recent report by the German federal police shows that the number of illegal migrants travelling through the country has reached levels not seen since 2016. This year, the country imposed a temporary border checks system for people coming into Germany for the summer’s European football Championships.

Olaf Scholz under pressure

However, the Olaf Scholz government is coming under intense pressure to maintain universal border checks from one of its fiercest political rivals. The Christian Democratic Union (CDU), Friedrich Merz, and Markus Söder from the CDU’s Bavarian sister party the Christian Social Union (CSU) have put the pressure on Scholz over immigration.

In October last year, Germany reintroduced checks at its borders with the Czech Republic, Poland, Switzerland and Austria. While this stop-gap measure was meant to last until June, the government announced in May it would be extended until the winter, a measure which potentially violates the Schengen Agreement.