In September 2015, the federal government introduced controls between the German-Austrian border at the height of the refugee crisis. Since then, the repeatedly prolonged measure is crystallized again and again. Now an announcement by Interior Minister Horst Seehofer (CSU) causes new displeasure.
The politician has the border controls until the spring of 2020. Also Seehofer has announced that they want to expand the so-called Schleierfahndung at the German borders. There is criticism of the Greens now.
The Greens domestic politician Irene Mihalic told the newspapers of the editorial network Germany (RND) that the extended permanent internal border controls are a "dangerous anti-European signal". They would also bring the federal police "to the limit of efficiency and beyond."
"The Minister of the Interior should rather say how he wants to ensure the permanent presence in the area, at the stations, without the overtime mountain of the Federal Police grows and grows," said Mihalic on.
"Open borders in Europe a high good"
The coalition partner SPD also reacted skeptically to Seehofer's actions. "It is basically right to secure the borders and prevent illegal entry, but the open borders in Europe are a great asset and an achievement," said SPD parliamentary deputy leader Eva Högl to the RND newspapers. "It would therefore be better not to decide on any kind of border controls unilaterally, but to coordinate with the European partners and involve the federal states in a common approach."
The so-called Schengen Borders Code allows only temporary internal controls in Europe. This requires exceptional circumstances that pose a serious threat to public order and internal security.
In March, Seehofer announced that Germany would once again extend its controls on the border with Austria by half a year. A spokesman for the Federal Ministry of the Interior said that "a high number of illegal border crossings are still being detected".
For security reasons and to have control over the migration, the federal police are now instructed to continue the controls beyond 11 November. In addition, on all other border sections an "intensive veil manhunt" takes place.
Germany has a 3,700 kilometer long land border, with Austria alone there are more than 800 kilometers with dozens of transitions. This hampers uninterrupted immigration controls enormously.
