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Germany has announced that it will extend its temporary border controls for another six months, pushing the end date from September 15, 2025, to March 15, 2026, according to the European Commission.
The decision comes as part of broader efforts to curb irregular immigration and tackle growing strains on the asylum system. Border checks, first introduced on March 16, 2025, will now continue across Germany’s land borders with France, Luxembourg, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, Austria, Switzerland, Czechia, and Poland.
Reason for Extension
The European Commission said the extension was due to “serious threats to public security and order posed by continued high levels of irregular migration and migrant smuggling, and the strain on the asylum reception system.”
Germany’s new interior minister, Alexander Dobrindt of the Christian Social Union, ordered stricter controls at all major border points. Non-EU citizens without visas will be denied entry, including asylum seekers without valid documents and those who have already applied for asylum in another EU country.
Regional Reactions
The move has already triggered tensions in neighboring states. Earlier this month, Poland introduced its own border checks with Germany and Lithuania, criticizing Berlin’s practice of sending back migrants accused of crossing illegally into German territory.
Afghan Deportations Highlight Tensions
At the same time, Germany is facing criticism for its handling of Afghans who had been promised refuge. More than 200 Afghans previously accepted under a German protection scheme were deported from Pakistan to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan in recent days.
German foreign ministry spokesman Josef Hinterseher confirmed the deportations and said Berlin is urging Islamabad to allow those individuals to return. Aid organizations have voiced alarm over their safety, as many of the deportees were identified as being at risk due to ties with Western institutions, journalism, or human rights work.
The situation reflects growing challenges under Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s stricter immigration policies. The protection program, originally launched in 2021 under former chancellor Olaf Scholz, was designed to assist Afghans at risk after the Taliban takeover. However, the initiative has now been paused, leaving around 2,000 Afghans stranded in Pakistan waiting for German visas.
Two German rights groups have filed legal complaints against government ministers, accusing them of failing to protect vulnerable Afghans who had been promised relocation.
Source: SchengenVisaInfo
August 19, 2025
