France has introduced border controls at its Schengen zone borders, affecting Luxembourg, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, Spain and Italy.
The measure, which requires ID documents and passports to be checked at French border crossings, will remain in place until April 1, 2025.
According to Immigration and Migration, the French government has cited challenges with terrorism and irregular migration as the reason.
France’s decision follows Germany’s resumption of border checks in September, as reported in Travel News. Controls were implemented at borders with France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Belgium and Denmark.
German border authorities have denied entry to about 1 000 individuals since the controls were introduced, and German leaders have announced their intention to tighten and extend border checks.
The controls were put in place for a period of six months but authorities have stressed that they need to be kept in place longer to have a long-lasting effect, reports Schengen News.