The Bild Newspaper First Reported the Development

The Bild newspaper first reported the development. "The developments at Europe's external borders show that curbing illegal migration continues to require controls, Dobrindt told the paper. The CSU politician had already announced the step in late July, when tens of thousands of migrants temporarily crossed the border from Morocco into the Spanish exclave of Ceuta in North Africa.

Almost all of them later returned. Although borders within the EU are supposed to remain open, checks have been in place at all German external borders since September 16, 2024. Then-Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) ordered the measures to curb the number of unauthorized entries. In previous years, controls had already been introduced at the borders with Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria, and Switzerland due to the migration situation.

Despite growing criticism, the regulation has already been extended three times, most recently until mid-September 2026. If the EU Commission does not object, the next six-month extension will apply until mid-March 2027. Under the Schengen Code, EU member states are only allowed to conduct border checks in cases of "exceptional circumstances. The measure is meant to be "temporary" and used as a last resort.