Starting next Monday, September 16, Germany will enforce passport controls along all of its land borders for at least six months. Helaas, that includes the Dutch-German border, too.
Through this drastic measure, the German government hopes to reduce the number of people entering the country without a valid visa, the NOS reports.
What changes for the Dutch?
How exactly Germany plans to implement checks along the entirety of its 3,767-kilometre land border remains unclear.
The practical implications for neighbouring countries are also yet to be defined.
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However, the Dutch Minister of Asylum and Migration, Marjolein Faber (PVV), has already stated that she understands Germany’s decision.
In fact, Faber wishes to cooperate with Germany to strengthen border control not only between the two countries, but also in the rest of the EU.
As such, individuals travelling to Germany from the Netherlands are likely to be affected.
Goods travelling across the border, however, may be spared the hassle. Faber has announced that she will work with Germany to minimise the measure’s impact on trade.
What about the Schengen treaty?
You might be wondering how this is legal, considering that EU rules are supposed to guarantee freedom of movement across Schengen countries.
Well… it is! Apparently, if a country has good reason to implement border checks, does so extraordinarily and temporarily, and requests the European Commission’s permission beforehand, the measure is allowed.
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Germany has complied with all of the above, citing social and political pressure caused by terrorism and cross-border crime threats as the reason for tightening its borders.
It is not the first country to obtain permission to disregard Schengen rules, either: Sweden, Denmark, France, Austria, Slovenia, and Italy have also done it recently.
Just how temporary and extraordinary this measure will be, then, remains to be seen.
What do you think of Germany’s decision? Let us know in the comments below.
Noo! This is gonna be so inconvenient for my business 😭😭
So, are they going to post a border agent at the “drie landen punt” park in southeastern Netherlands?
Well done to Germany. I agree with them and all other countries. I say put all borders back up everywhere.
Some of us prefer controls within countries. In France for example, you’re more likely to be controlled on the street than when you cross an EU border.
EU is not able to protect its external borders so they take the easy way by making its own citizens suffer. Typical incompetence and cowardice to expect from them.
Are you claiming that this is a decision on the part of the EU while, clearly, this is a German decision imposed on the EU? Besides, the EU has no border force of its own to watch external borders, it must rely on the participation of the member states and it coordinates it with the Frontex Agency.
Why « passport controls »? A Dutch ID card is enough to cross an EU border, is it not?