Delays have been reported at several German land borders after the country reintroduced border controls with France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Belgium and Denmark.
Traffic and roadside assistance agency in the Netherlands, ANWB, reported traffic jams at the German border to Arnhem and the border with Utrecht. Delays were also reported at the German side of the Luxembourg border, according to RTL Today
The Federal Ministry of the Interior and Community informed the European Commission that these border controls would be instated over the coming six months. Police are checking passports of those entering the country, reports NL Times.
Individuals travelling by land between these countries should be prepaid for border checks. This is in an effort to limit irregular migration and to protect Germany’s internal security.
“These border control measures include effective refusals of entry at the border – more than 30 000 people have been denied entry at the land borders with Poland, Austria, Switzerland and the Czech Republic just since October 2023. That is why we will expand our temporary border control to include all of Germany’s land borders,” said Nancy Faeser, Federal Minister of the Interior.
The decision has angered Germany’s neighbouring countries. Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk said the new controls were “unacceptable” and that Poland would be requesting urgent talks with the countries affected. Greece and Austria have also expressed concern about the policy, stating that they will not accept migrants who have been rejected by Germany, reports CNN.
