Germany is extending border controls with Austria for another six months. The German news agency dpa reported on Friday, citing a letter from German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser to the EU Commission. In it, Faeser writes that a sustained decline in irregular migration to Central and Western Europe cannot be expected in the foreseeable future.
“It is worrying that in 2022 irregular migration at the EU’s external borders peaked since 2016,” said the German interior minister. Germany was once more the main destination country in Europe last year, Faeser continues in her letter. In view of the increasing number of migrants, the accommodation situation in German federal states and municipalities has become even more difficult. Therefore, she sees herself forced to order internal border controls for a further six months on the main route of irregular migration to Germany with effect from May 12.
Earlier this week, Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP) announced that Austria also wants to extend its border controls with Slovenia and Hungary.
Actually, there are no stationary identity checks at the borders in the Schengen area, to which 26 European countries belong. In recent years, however, several countries have used an exception and partially reintroduced border controls.
