Germany expands border controls to curb irregular migration, extremists

Germany's government ordered temporary controls at all land borders Monday, expanding checks it already has in place at some borders, saying that it was responding to irregular migration and to protect the country from extremist threats.

We are strengthening our internal security through concrete action and we are continuing our tough stance against irregular migration, Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said at a news conference.

The ministry said that it notified the European Union on Monday of the order to set up border controls at the land borders with France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Belgium and Denmark for a period of six months. They will begin next week on September 16.

This adds to restrictions already in place on the land borders with Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria and Switzerland.

Until we achieve strong protection of the EU's external borders with the new Common European Asylum System, we must increase controls at our national borders even more, Faeser said.

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