Interior Minister: Not a fan of border controls

Achim Schwickert, the interior minister of Rhineland-Pfalz, expressed his reservations about permanent border controls, stating, "I am not a fan of border controls and do not want to return to them permanently." However, he finds the continuation of temporary border checks justifiable at the present moment.

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I am not a fan of border controls and do not want to return to them permanently.

Schwickert views the current controls as a means to send a clear message, both internally and externally, that authorities are intensifying scrutiny over who enters the country. "But to send the signal outwards and inwards that we want to look more closely at who is coming in, I consider that still justifiable at the moment," he told the German Press Agency.

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But to send the signal outwards and inwards that we want to look more closely at who is coming in, I consider that still justifiable at the moment.

Despite this temporary acceptance, the minister emphasized the legal and practical difficulties of maintaining permanent border checks. "It is also pointless," he stated, referring to the lack of long-term viability. He specifically highlighted the situation in Rhineland-Pfalz concerning the border with Luxembourg, where frequent cross-border commuter traffic makes fixed checkpoints impractical.

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It is also pointless.

"We have very good relations, especially with Luxembourg. Fixed border controls are not appropriate there because we have commuter traffic back and forth," Schwickert explained. He noted that controls in such areas have already been shifted further inland to mitigate disruptions.

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We have very good relations, especially with Luxembourg. Fixed border controls are not appropriate there because we have commuter traffic back and forth.