German Cities Association Demands End to Border Controls

The German Association of Cities (Deutscher Städtetag) is calling on the federal government to cease stationary border controls by mid-September, citing considerable burdens on daily life and businesses in border areas. Uwe Conradt, the association's vice president and mayor of Saarbrücken, stated that commuters face delays and waiting times, while supply chains become more complicated and companies struggle to find skilled workers.

"Therefore, we ask the federal government not to extend the stationary controls again," Conradt urged. He advocated for a transition to mobile, flexible, and situation-dependent controls, alongside improved cross-border cooperation among security authorities, as alternatives to the current measures.

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Therefore, we ask the federal government not to extend the stationary controls again.

Stationary controls at all borders with European neighbors have been in place since September 2024. Since the current federal government took office, asylum seekers have also been turned away at these borders. Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt has not yet committed to whether the controls will be extended further. In February, he deemed the then-extension necessary for migration and security policy reasons.

The Städtetag pointed to the recently implemented Common European Asylum System (GEAS) as a reason for their demand. Conradt expressed expectations for even closer cooperation between security and social authorities to further reduce secondary migration. He emphasized that "security requires effective controls, but not permanently stationary internal border controls."

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Security requires effective controls, but not permanently stationary internal border controls.