Key Takeaways: Germany will extend its temporary internal border controls for a further six months, pushing the measure to at least mid-September 2026. The government cites overwhelmed local authorities and the absence of a "functional European migration policy" as key reasons. The move continues a trend of challenging the Schengen Agreement's core principle of free movement.
Germany is doubling down on border security within Europe. The interior ministry announced a six-month extension of temporary border checks on Monday, ensuring the spot-checks first introduced in September 2024 will remain in force for at least two full years.
Ministry spokesman Leonard Kaminski framed the decision as a necessity. "Local authorities are still overwhelmed," he stated. "We have to do more here so that we get to a situation that is sustainable for our country, for our society."
A Challenge to the Schengen Ideal
The extension represents a significant strain on the Schengen Agreement, which abolished internal border checks across most of Western and Central Europe. The rules allow for temporary reintroductions in cases of a serious threat to public policy or internal security.
Germany, alongside neighbors like Poland and Austria, has repeatedly invoked this clause. It points to concerns over uncontrolled migration as a threat to public order. The policy began under the previous government of Olaf Scholz following a series of deadly attacks by foreign nationals.
Since taking office in May, the conservative-led coalition under Chancellor Friedrich Merz has intensified the approach, deploying more police to turn back greater numbers of people.
The Human and Political Impact
The controls have had a tangible effect. Between mid-September 2024 and the end of January 2025, authorities sent back almost 50,000 people as a result of the checks. The government has not backed down despite a June court ruling that found it broke the law by sending three Somali asylum seekers back to Poland without considering their claims.
Kaminski acknowledged the broader policy context but offered no specific targets. "An overhaul of migration policy has begun, but we haven’t reached the end of the road," he said. "I cannot give you a specific figure in terms of reductions, but quite simply, there needs to be order."
A Broader Crackdown and Political Pressure
The border controls are one pillar of Merz's wider crackdown, which also includes:
- Deporting some convicted criminals to Afghanistan.
- Making it harder for family members abroad to join refugees in Germany.
This hardline stance exists against a tense political backdrop. The anti-migration Alternative for Germany (AfD) party is polling nearly level with Merz's CDU, keeping pressure on the government to demonstrate control.
In December, Merz suggested the measures could end following stronger EU action to police the bloc's external borders. For now, with that European solution elusive, Germany's internal borders will remain a point of control, testing the limits of Schengen's promise of free movement.