EU Commission Urges Germany to Reduce Border Controls Amid Asylum Reforms

The EU Commission has called on Germany to reduce and eventually end its temporary national border controls, aligning with a broader push across Europe for freer movement within the Schengen Area. Migration Commissioner Magnus Brunner told the Funke Media Group that it is both possible and appropriate to gradually ease border controls in the nine member states where they remain, including Germany. The appeal comes just days ahead of a significant European asylum reform set to take effect, designed to reduce the number of asylum seekers entering the EU through stricter regulations.

Germany has maintained temporary border checks since 2022 after Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) implemented stricter controls shortly after the conservative-led Schwarz-Rot coalition took office. Despite this, Brunner cited a “drastic” decline in asylum applications and the effectiveness of EU-wide external border protection and entry-exit systems as reasons to reconsider the need for ongoing border controls.

The Schengen Agreement generally guarantees free travel without systematic border checks, but several countries, Germany among them, currently operate temporary measures. Critics within Germany have voiced concerns over these controls. Marcel Emmerich, a Green Party interior politician, condemned Minister Dobrindt's policies as contrary to the rule of law and European ideals, arguing they fracture European unity, impose burdens on commuters, and incur economic costs running into millions of euros. Emmerich also noted that the deployment of thousands of police officers to manage border controls diverts resources away from domestic crime prevention.

In defense, a CSU politician acknowledged that border controls will be "flexibly developed" reflecting recent EU migration policy reforms but insisted on their continued need.

As the European asylum reform takes effect this Friday, aiming to limit asylum seekers and introduce tighter restrictions within Germany, the debate over border controls remains a significant point of contention between the EU Commission and German federal authorities. The outcome will likely impact Germany’s border management policies and its role in the European migration framework going forward.