Germany extends border controls

Berlin (dpa) - As previously announced, Germany on Monday widened the ongoing checks on its eastern and southern borders to include its borders in the west. The additional checks on the borders with Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Denmark are initially to remain in place for six months. The goal is to significantly reduce the number of people entering Germany illegally. The idea is to hinder commuter and tourist traffic as little as possible - only random checks will be carried out and not all vehicles will be stopped. Non-EU nationals who are not applying for asylum, are not entitled to apply for asylum or have been prohibited entry will be turned back at the borders. More than 30,000 people have been denied entry at Germany’s borders since October 2023.