Costs and risks arising from de facto permanent border controls in Germany

Question for written answer E-000055/2025
to the Commission
Rule 144
Mariusz Kamiński (ECR)

Member states have the right, in exceptional cases, to introduce internal border controls, which must be temporary, proportionate and a measure of last resort. In recent years, however, such controls have become a general policy applied by the German Government. Moreover, these measures were not coordinated with neighbouring countries, which learned about the border closures the day before from the German media. In recent days, checks carried out by the German authorities on the German-Polish border have caused traffic jams that are several kilometres long, despite the winter conditions.

It is hypocritical that a government introducing internal border controls under the pretext of the threat of illegal migration has refused to fund physical barriers at the EU's external borders, financed migrant smuggling organisations, criticised agreements with third countries and promoted a harmful asylum policy. Berlin, while imposing a crazy project for the forced relocation of migrants, is in parallel restricting the fundamental freedom of movement of citizens, to the detriment of EU cohesion. Germany's current position, which consists in seeking out legal loopholes to avoid taking responsibility, is unacceptable. It is not Schengen that threatens our security. Europe's external borders must be robustly defended, the misguided asylum policies must be changed, and the EU's greatest achievement must not be destroyed.

• 1.Why does the Commission, which has not supported my country in in its resolute response to the migration crisis at the EU's external borders, remain silent when internal border controls of a de facto permanent nature are introduced?
• 2.Does the Commission intend to examine whether the dozen or so similar notifications submitted by Germany since 2023 on the temporary introduction of controls comply with the Schengen Agreement, the Schengen Borders Code and CJEU rulings?

Submitted: 9.1.2025