Germany to extend border controls with Poland, Czech Republic, Switzerland
(VOVWORLD) - Germany plans to extend its border controls with Poland, the Czech Republic, and Switzerland to stem a migration surge and combat people-smuggling until December 15, a spokesperson for the interior ministry said on Monday.
 Police patrol on teh expressway near the Germany-Poland border (Photo: Lisi Niesner/Reuters) |
Berlin will notify the European Commission of the extension, the spokesperson told a regular news conference in Berlin.
The ministry believes stationary police measures should continue at the Polish border in particular, he said, adding that those measures have prevented 1,100 unauthorized entries since they came into force on October 16.
Germany announced stricter controls on its land borders with Poland, the Czech Republic, and Switzerland in response to a sharp increase of first-time asylum requests this year.
In the first 9 months of this year, 234,000 people applied for asylum in Germany, up 73% from last year. Many cities in Germany have reached the limit of their housing, care, and integration resources for refugees. In response, Germany has tightened land border controls with Poland, the Czech Republic, and Switzerland. Since applying these measures in October, the number of people entering Germany illegally through the three borders has declined 40%.