Germany to maintain border controls as illegal immigration remains high

Germany will continue its external border controls until there is a substantial decrease in illegal migration, Interior Minister Nancy Faeser announced on Monday during a meeting with Federal Police Chief Dieter Romann in Rostock. Despite a recent decline, the number of illegal entries remains elevated compared to previous years.

"I am not willing to accept these figures," Faeser stated emphatically. According to the Sueddeutsche Zeitung, the German interior ministry is frustrated by the unequal distribution of refugees across European countries, with Faeser noting that only a handful of nations are bearing the brunt of the migration influx, Remix News reports.

The minister confirmed that existing controls at the borders with Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria, and Switzerland will remain in effect until the implementation of the Common European Asylum System, which was approved earlier this year. This process is expected to take several months, with the earliest potential end to the measures projected for June 2025.

While Germany experienced a record influx of nearly 128,000 illegal migrants last year, current figures show a decline. Approximately 53,000 illegal entries have been reported so far this year, marking a 16 percent decrease compared to the same period last year. German authorities partially attribute this reduction to the reintroduced border controls.

The Federal Police report that the majority of illegal entries occur via Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria, and Switzerland.

The stationary checks on the borders with Poland, the Czech Republic, and Switzerland were initially implemented on October 16, following the earlier reinstatement of controls at the Austrian border. This decision was prompted by German authorities observing an increase in refugee arrivals and heightened human smuggling activities along these routes.