Border controls cost Germany over $94M in 9 months

BERLIN

Germany's border controls aimed at reducing irregular migration have cost the government €80.5 million ($94 million) over the past nine months, according to official figures released Thursday.

Data from the Interior Ministry, provided in response to a parliamentary inquiry from the opposition Left Party, shows that quarterly costs for border control measures range between €24 million and €29 million.

All of Germany's neighbors are part of Europe's passport-free Schengen Area, but Berlin began implementing temporary border checks in September 2024, amid growing public pressure to curb irregular migration.

Germany's new conservative-led coalition government, which came to power in May, has further expanded these border controls. Approximately 14,000 federal police officers are now deployed, conducting random spot checks on major roads near borders and at border crossing points.

Conservative Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt announced last week that Germany will extend these border controls beyond next month, saying such measures were necessary until an EU-wide solution on migration is reached.

Germany's stricter border controls have created tensions with its eastern neighbor, Poland. In response, the Polish government has implemented reciprocal temporary border controls. Leading Polish politicians have accused Germany of pushing migrants from German territory into Poland.

Several other EU countries, including Italy, Slovenia, Austria, Denmark, and the Netherlands, have also implemented temporary border controls within the Schengen Area, citing migration pressures, threats to public order, and security concerns.

According to EU regulations, Schengen member states can only implement temporary border controls in exceptional circumstances, such as serious threats to public order.

The European Commission has repeatedly emphasized that these measures should be used as a "last resort" and must remain strictly "temporary."