Germany to extend temporary controls to all land borders in response to ‘irregular migration’ – Europe live
GuardianSep 11
Germany: Tightened Border Enforcement Begins
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Above: Police officers stop vehicles on the A64 near Trier at the start of border controls at all German state borders. Image copyright: Harald Titte/Contributor/picture alliance via Getty Images
The Facts
Germany has begun to enforce additional temporary border checks with France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Denmark, and the Netherlands. Border checks were already in place with Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria, and Switzerland.
These checks are initially expected to last six months and are intended to "put a stop to criminals and identify and stop Islamists at an early stage," according to Germany's Interior Minister. Measures include federal police checks and the creation of temporary structures.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
Germany is doing the best it can under the circumstances. While criticism from fellow EU and Schengen countries is understandable, Germany, due to its robust welfare system, is a particularly desirable destination. As many of these migrants are refugees, Germany's checkpoint system will give it time to review asylum applications while also preventing bad actors from entering the country.
Left narrative
Clampdowns on immigration perpetuate harmful myths about migrants and crime which are exploited by far-right extremists to push an anti-immigrant agenda, despite evidence showing that immigrants commit fewer crimes than the general population. Such measures only fuel xenophobia and divisiveness, drawing on historical fears of the "other" to justify discrimination.
Right narrative
It's remarkable that Germany's liberal coalition government — the one that up until recently smeared the AfD Party for wanting to combat illegal immigration — is now blocking immigration nationwide. While this temporary policy certainly won't fix the problem, it's nice to see the government at least pretend to protect Germany's borders. This will only increase the popularity of AfD.
