Germany plans to expand border checks following a knife attack in Solingen in August, which left three people dead. The suspect, a Syrian national who was facing deportation after a failed asylum attempt, was linked to the Islamic State group. This move comes amid rising pressure on the government to take a tougher stance on immigration, especially after the anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) made significant gains in local elections.
The new checks, set to begin on 16 September for an initial six-month period, were announced by Interior Minister Nancy Faeser. She emphasized that the government is “taking a hard line” on irregular migration to reduce Islamist extremism and cross-border crime. Germany already has border controls in place with neighboring countries such as Poland, Austria, and the Czech Republic, and these will be extended to all border points.
Critics argue that the expanded checks are politically motivated, especially as mainstream parties face pressure after the AfD’s success. The AfD’s recent regional election wins have pushed the governing Social Democrats (SPD) and other parties to adopt stricter immigration policies. Since the Solingen incident, Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s government has introduced several migration-related measures, including changing asylum rules to cut benefits for deportees and resuming the deportation of convicted Afghan criminals to Afghanistan.
The political landscape in Germany has shifted in response to growing public concerns over immigration and border security, especially following the Solingen attack. With the far-right AfD gaining momentum, mainstream parties have felt compelled to reevaluate their immigration policies ahead of key elections.
The upcoming regional election in Brandenburg on 22 September is especially significant, with polls indicating that the AfD could perform well. In response, both the center-left and center-right parties have proposed more stringent measures that were once politically unpalatable. For instance, the center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU), once led by former Chancellor Angela Merkel, has proposed turning away all asylum seekers at the border, even those who might qualify, if they have already passed through safe EU countries.
This shift has sparked a broader debate within the EU, with some countries reacting strongly to Germany’s changing stance. Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner made it clear that Austria would not accept any migrants turned away by Germany, stating there was “no room for maneuver” on the issue.
In addition to border checks, the German government has rolled out other measures aimed at curbing irregular migration. These include tightening deportation rules and cutting benefits for asylum seekers who have been ordered to leave. For the first time since the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan in 2021, Germany has resumed the deportation of Afghan criminals convicted in Germany, a move that underscores the government’s commitment to tougher migration policies.
The combination of increased security measures and political maneuvering reflects a growing concern within Germany over immigration and its potential impact on national security, with a strong emphasis on avoiding the rise of far-right populism fueled by public frustration.
