Germany’s government has announced plans to impose tighter controls at all of the country’s land borders in what it called an attempt to tackle irregular migration and protect the public from threats such as Islamist extremism.
The controls are expected to begin Sept. 16 and initially last for six months, the interior ministry said in a statement on Monday.
They are part of a series of measures Germany has taken to toughen its stance on irregular migration in recent years following a surge in arrivals, in particular people fleeing war and poverty in the Middle East.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s government is seeking to seize back the initiative from the opposition far-right and conservatives, who have seen support rise as they tap into voter worries about stretched public services, integration and security.
“We are strengthening internal security and continuing our hard line against irregular migration,” Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said.
Recent deadly knife attacks in which the suspects were asylum seekers have stoked concerns over immigration. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for a knife attack in the western city of Solingen that killed three people in August.
Earlier in September, the AfD became the first far-right party since World War Two to win a state election, in Thuringia, after campaigning heavily on the issue of migration.
Polls show it is also voters’ top concern in the state of Brandenburg, which is set to hold elections in two weeks.
