Customs enforcement: Dobrindt commends federal law enforcement - Federal Police received appreciation from Dobrindt
Since Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt took office earlier in 2025, Germany has significantly extended and tightened its border controls, going beyond the initially planned September 2025 end date, now until at least March 2026. This is part of a comprehensive migration crackdown.
These measures include maintaining internal border checks with neighboring Schengen countries, turning away non-EU citizens and asylum seekers without valid documents, and increasing deportations, especially to Afghanistan and Syria.
Key changes since Dobrindt took office and during the summer include:
- Extension of border controls: Originally set to end September 15, 2025, internal Schengen border checks are now extended until March 15, 2026, covering land borders with France, Luxembourg, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, Austria, Switzerland, Czechia, and Poland.
- Stricter entry refusals and pushbacks: Asylum seekers without valid entry documents or those already registered for asylum in another EU country are turned back at the border. This is justified by addressing "serious threats to public security and order" due to irregular migration and the asylum system's strain.
- Increased deportations: Germany has resumed deportations to high-risk countries like Taliban-controlled Afghanistan and is considering expanding this to Syria, focusing on asylum seekers with criminal records. This has drawn criticism from human rights groups due to the dangerous conditions in these countries.
- Safe country designations and asylum reforms: The government plans to widen the list of countries considered "safe," reducing asylum approval rates, and may expedite this via executive orders bypassing parliamentary debate.
- Regional effects: Poland has also extended its border controls with Germany and Lithuania due to migration concerns, reflecting a broader regional trend toward tighter border enforcement.
The Federal Police, with approximately 6,500 police officers, has been handling border controls. Between May 8 and the end of July, they rejected 9,506 individuals immediately at the border or in connection with their illegal border crossing. This includes 474 asylum seekers. However, the Federal Police's regular support of state police forces at demonstrations, soccer games, and major events has seen reduced capacity for other deployments.
One asylum seeker was pushed back after crossing the border since Dobrindt's order. The Police Union (GdP) considers more flexible, less personnel-intensive controls to be sensible. Dobrindt has promised long-term relief for the Federal Police, which has been heavily burdened by intensified border controls.
Dobrindt's order provides exceptions for the sick, pregnant, and other members of so-called vulnerable groups. Federal Police President Dieter Romann stated that the Federal Police is well-equipped to handle the tasks of border controls. Department Head Reiner Paschke is planning deployments at the Federal Police department in Duderstadt.
Before Dobrindt's order, only people with a re-entry ban or those who did not apply for asylum were rejected at the border. These changes indicate a clear policy shift in Germany toward more robust border enforcement and migration restrictions, balancing national security concerns with humanitarian obligations amid EU-level challenges in managing migration flows.
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- The extension and tightening of Germany's border controls under Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt, as part of a comprehensive migration crackdown, has led to significant changes in the country's policy-and-legislation, reflecting political decisions in the realm of general-news and politics.
- The implementation of stricter entry refusals, increased deportations, and the consideration of safe country designations are not merely border control measures, but also form a part of the broader crime-and-justice landscape, raising concerns about human rights and the treatment of asylum seekers.
