(de-news.net) – Germany’s Federal Minister of the Interior, Alexander Dobrindt (CSU), has affirmed the continuation of German border controls despite declining migration, linking them to security enforcement and advocating a future EU-level solution. He defended deportations to Afghanistan and called for pragmatic coalition cooperation amid criticism, while legal and political disputes over the controls persist.
Dobrindt has affirmed that border controls would remain in force notwithstanding a measurable decline in migration inflows, presenting their continuation as a proportionate response to prevailing conditions. In elaborating this position, it was indicated that returns at the border continued to be implemented, while enforcement activity more broadly remained operative; this included, in particular, the execution of roughly 8,000 outstanding arrest warrants, a figure cited to underscore the security dimension of ongoing controls.
With respect to longer-term policy orientation, the Federal Government was described as pursuing a medium-term objective centered on restoring the effective functioning of the European migration framework, thereby creating the conditions under which internal border controls could be progressively reduced and ultimately discontinued. At the same time, the minister acknowledged the indeterminacy surrounding this objective, noting that no reliable projection could yet be made regarding the timing of such a transition, given the complexity and interdependence of European-level arrangements.
Dobrindt evokes internal security
The administration’s approach to deportations to Afghanistan was similarly reaffirmed, even where implementation would necessitate indirect forms of engagement with representatives of the Taliban. Addressing critical responses to this policy, Dobrindt maintained that the removal of individuals convicted of serious criminal offenses constituted a necessary component of safeguarding internal security. The underlying rationale, as presented, was that permitting such individuals to remain within Germany would entail an unacceptable risk to public safety, thereby justifying the continuation of deportation measures under these specific circumstances.
The continuation of border controls remains a subject of ongoing legal and political contention. Critics frequently invoke the Schengen Borders Code, which provides that such measures are permissible only under exceptional circumstances and must be limited in duration, thereby raising questions about their continued application. Reflecting these concerns, the Administrative Court of Koblenz recently determined that a specific control at the German–Luxembourg border was unlawful. In response, Dobrindt characterized the judgment as confined to the particulars of the individual case rather than indicative of a broader legal precedent, while the Federal Government formally indicated its intention to pursue an appeal in order to seek further judicial clarification.
Audio: TTSFree
