Germany to extend border controls in migration crackdown
Germany's conservative Chancellor Friedrich Merz has vowed a tough crackdown on irregular immigration, saying this is the only way to stem rising support for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. A spate of deadly attacks blamed on asylum seekers and other foreign nationals fueled public fears during the campaign for the February election, in which the AfD scored a record 20 percent.
'We will continue to maintain the border controls' beyond the September 15 deadline, Dobrindt said about the measures first launched last year under the previous government of Olaf Scholz and extended by six months in March. 'We are in agreement with our European partners that this is a necessary measure until the (EU) external border protection system is fully operational,' he said.
Members of Europe's Schengen area are allowed to temporarily reintroduce border controls for up to two years in response to serious threats such as terrorism or large-scale unauthorized migration. Merz's government further tightened the border checks when it took power in early May, moving to also reject most asylum seekers - a step that sparked an outcry from human rights groups.
Federal police numbers deployed daily at the borders were stepped up to 14,000 from 11,000. According to ministry data, 9,254 people were turned back at German land borders between May 8 and July 31 - with most recorded cases from Afghanistan followed by Algeria, Eritrea and Somalia.
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