Berlin, Feb 12 (IANS) Germany will extend its strict border controls, initially implemented to address migration and terrorism concerns, for an additional six months beyond their planned expiration in March, Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced on Wednesday.
Last September, Germany introduced passport and identity document checks at land border crossings to curb the number of people entering the country without a visa. The measure was initially set to be in place for six months, responding to rising illegal immigration and security concerns.
According to the German Interior Ministry, in recent months, Germany has detected approximately 80,000 cases of illegal entry, arrested around 1,900 smugglers, and turned away about 47,000 individuals for reasons such as falsified documents or lost visas. “With border controls, we are effectively preventing irregular migration,” Scholz said.
Scholz’s Social Democrats (SPD) have faced mounting pressure on the issue after a series of deadly attacks attributed to migrants and asylum seekers. Several attacks in Germany since last year have reignited concerns about security and immigration. Following an attack in Solingen that killed three people and injured eight, Scholz pledged to accelerate deportations, tighten weapon restrictions, and further reduce irregular migration if necessary, Xinhua news agency reported.
Scholz said that Wednesday’s announcement showed his intention to ‘remain resolute in the fight against irregular migration’.
He said that to date, the checks had resulted in ‘47,000 people being turned back at the border’.
He also cited figures showing asylum applications had fallen by a third last year from 2023 and that 1,900 people smugglers had been arrested.
German media speculate that the extension of border controls, ahead of the early election for the Bundestag, signals that immigration will be a central theme in the upcoming election.
The government announced a sweeping crackdown on traffic into the country in September to deal with what Interior Minister Nancy Faeser called the ‘continuing burden’ of migration and ‘Islamist terrorism’.
–IANS
int/jk/dan
Disclaimer
The information contained in this website is for general information purposes only. The information is provided by TodayIndia.news and while we endeavour to keep the information up to date and correct, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the website for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk.
In no event will we be liable for any loss or damage including without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage, or any loss or damage whatsoever arising from loss of data or profits arising out of, or in connection with, the use of this website.
Through this website you are able to link to other websites which are not under the control of TodayIndia.news We have no control over the nature, content and availability of those sites. The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.
Every effort is made to keep the website up and running smoothly. However, TodayIndia.news takes no responsibility for, and will not be liable for, the website being temporarily unavailable due to technical issues beyond our control.
For any legal details or query please visit original source link given with news or click on Go to Source.
Our translation service aims to offer the most accurate translation possible and we rarely experience any issues with news post. However, as the translation is carried out by third part tool there is a possibility for error to cause the occasional inaccuracy. We therefore require you to accept this disclaimer before confirming any translation news with us.
If you are not willing to accept this disclaimer then we recommend reading news post in its original language.
