German federal police launched border inspections Monday to curb illegal immigration, with checkpoints at the borders of Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands.
The six-month operation, which began at midnight last night, will expand to include Denmark later today, according to the German Interior Ministry.
The federal police emphasized that the inspections will be selective, ensuring minimal disruption to cross-border travel, particularly for goods and workers.
These new measures extend border checks already in place with Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria, Switzerland, and France, completing coverage of all nine countries bordering Germany.
Meanwhile, Interior Minister Nancy Faeser, who authorized these operations, defended the move, citing the strain on Germany’s towns and cities due to rising illegal immigrant numbers.
Since last October, police have turned back 30,000 individuals attempting to enter the country illegally, she mentioned.
Additional officers have been deployed in Lower Saxony, wh
ich borders the Netherlands, and North Rhine-Westphalia for inspections along the German-Dutch border.
The decision comes amid intense national debate over immigration and asylum seeking, following the recent electoral gains of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which capitalized on concerns over illegal migration.
Source: Kuwait News Agency