German Chancellor Merz: New EU regulations could end border controls
Chancellor Friedrich Merz suggests that Germany may soon lift border checks following major reforms in the European Union's migration policies.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has indicated that Germany could soon lift its border controls, following significant changes to migration policies agreed upon by European Union interior ministers in Brussels. The new measures include the establishment of return centers outside the 27-member EU bloc for those whose asylum applications have been rejected. Merz stated that these decisions will allow border controls to shift to the EU’s external frontiers, though he declined to provide a specific timeline for ending domestic checks.
Germany began enforcing border checks with its nine neighboring countries in September 2024 during the former Scholz administration, citing rising concerns about migration and internal security. Since then, the Merz government has increased police presence at borders and tightened migration rules in response to growing political pressure. EU Schengen Area rules generally allow internal border controls for up to two years in cases of serious threats, such as terrorism or large-scale irregular migration.
The new EU agreement, however, still needs approval from the European Parliament before it can be implemented. Among the other provisions are longer detention periods for migrants who refuse to leave the EU and the option to transfer migrants to countries deemed safe by the EU instead of their countries of origin. Chancellor Merz, speaking in Mainz, emphasized that the implementation of a unified European asylum policy would make internal border controls unnecessary.
