EU Juncker speaks out in favor of an end to border controls

Former EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker has criticized the reintroduction of border controls in Germany and other EU countries. "I would like this to stop," he told the German news agency DPA.

"Anyone who thinks that refugees and other people with arrest warrants can be apprehended at official border points is mistaken," said Juncker. Smugglers do everything they can to avoid official police checks. This is particularly true for the large region around Luxembourg, where there is a lively exchange across the borders with Germany, France and Belgium.

"It bothers me that it seems to be becoming such a normal thing that border controls are being carried out again. And I don't want to get used to it," said Juncker. Germany reintroduced controls at all German borders on September 16, justifying this by limiting "irregular migration" and protecting internal security. Checks have been in place at the borders with Poland, the Czech Republic and Switzerland since mid-October last year, and were introduced at the German-Austrian land border in the fall of 2015. Other EU countries are also checking their borders again.

The Schengen Agreement on uncontrolled border crossings, the 40th anniversary of which is to be celebrated next year, allows border controls as an exception in the event of a "serious threat to public order or internal security" for an initial period of six months.

"Huge fuss and trouble"

Juncker said that if Germany was now also considering introducing such controls on a permanent basis, "it would not be good for people's attitude to life in the greater region". He added: "In this respect, I would be grateful if this were to be stopped." He welcomed the fact that the Luxembourg parliament had called on the government of the Grand Duchy to intervene with EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen: "I fully support this parliamentary decision."

According to the Federal Police, 135 illegal entries from Luxembourg were counted in October and 80 were turned back. However, the Luxembourg figures are lower. "So it's a huge problem, which means a lot of trouble for working people," said Juncker, referring to around 220,000 border crossers every day. "People are used to being able to move freely in the border area as they would on their own territory."

Legal review requested

If the German federal police "armed to the teeth" also carry out border controls on the Schengen Moselle bridge, "that doesn't show any particular ingenuity or sensitivity in dealing with the people in the border region", said Juncker, who was Prime Minister of Luxembourg from 1995 to 2013.

The resolution recently passed by the Luxembourg parliament against the reintroduction of temporary border controls also includes a request to the Luxembourg government to examine the possibility of a legal challenge.

SDA