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Germany is introducing additional checks on the border with Poland, the Czech Republic and Switzerland in an ongoing effort to curb the influx of asylum seekers into the country.
German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser announced Monday she has notified the European Commission of the internal border controls as a way to “step up the fight against smuggling and limit irregular migration,” according to the interior ministry. The new checks will be implemented starting Monday and will initially be carried out for 10 days, with the possibility of an extension for up to two months.
“The business of the smugglers is becoming more and more brutal and unscrupulous,” Faeser said. “It is now necessary to take all possible measures to stop this cruel business with people’s lives.”
This is the latest move amid the German government’s efforts to crack down on illegal migration and curb the growing numbers of asylum seekers entering Germany, many of whom are now crossing the borders of Poland and the Czech Republic.
Last month, Germany announced temporary checks on its eastern borders with Poland and the Czech Republic, and joint patrols with police from Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic have been carried out along the borders.
Introducing the new internal border controls will now allow the federal police to deploy “the entire bundle of stationary and mobile border police measures,” Faeser said.
Germany already has stationary border checks with Austria, which were introduced in 2015 and have been periodically renewed since. Faeser once again renewed the border controls with Austria on Monday.
According to the interior ministry, police have detected 98,000 unauthorized entries into Germany so far in 2023, up from 92,000 in all of 2022.
Laura Hülsemann contributed reporting.
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