Op-Ed by Emily Thompson
In an effort to curb migration in the face of public concern, and following a deadly knife attack by a Syrian asylum seeker last month in the city of Solingen, Germany has decided to extend temporary border controls that it already has in place at some of its borders to all of its land borders, according to an announcement by interior minister Nancy Faeser.
“We are strengthening our internal security through concrete action, and we are continuing our tough stance against irregular migration,” Faeser said in a news conference on Monday.
“It is important for us to act in close partnership with our neighbors and to minimize the impact on commuters and everyday life in border regions,” she said.
Controls on the borders with France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Belgium and Denmark would begin on September 16, Faeser said, initially lasting for six months.
The AfD earlier this month became the first far-right party since World War Two to win a state election, in Thuringia, after campaigning heavily on the issue of migration.
Polls show it is also voters' top concern in the state of Brandenburg, which is set to hold elections in two weeks.
Scholz and Faeser's centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) are fighting to retain control of the government there in a vote billed as a test of strength of the SPD ahead of next year's federal election.
Many countries have strict laws regarding illegal immigration, which often lead to detention, deportation, or legal penalties. However, countries typically do not "ban" illegal immigration in the sense of preventing it entirely, but they enact stringent measures to deter it.
Hungary has been at the forefront of efforts within the European Union to block illegal immigration. The country has built border fences along its southern frontier and criminalized irregular border crossings, particularly in response to the European migrant crisis. The government has tightened asylum rules and actively turns away or prosecutes irregular migrants, making it difficult for asylum seekers to enter the country.
Australia has a tough stance on illegal immigration. Unauthorized maritime arrivals are often intercepted and sent to offshore processing centers, and they may not be allowed to settle in Australia, even if they are found to be refugees.
Japan has strict immigration laws and does not tolerate illegal immigration. Unauthorized immigrants are subject to deportation and often receive bans on re-entry.
Saudi Arabia has strict penalties for illegal immigrants, including detention and deportation. The country also conducts regular raids to identify and deport unauthorized foreign workers.
South Korea enforces its immigration laws rigorously. Overstaying a visa can result in fines, deportation, and a ban from re-entering the country.
Singapore has zero tolerance for illegal immigration. Unauthorized immigrants face imprisonment, fines, and deportation.
These countries generally adopt strict policies and enforcement measures to deter illegal immigration, often leading to deportation and entry bans for violators. Policies differ significantly depending on the country’s approach to border control, asylum, and labor migration.
Like Germany, countries with stringent policies combine border security, detention, deportation, and cooperation with other countries to prevent and manage irregular migration.
The reason this is taking place now is partially due to the backlash that has been building in Germany ever since it took in more than a million people mostly fleeing war-torn countries such as Syria during the 2015-2016 migrant crisis.
It reached a tipping point in the country of 84 million people after it automatically granted asylum to around a million Ukrainians fleeing Russia’s 2022 invasion even as Germany was struggling through an energy and economic crisis.
Since then, the German government has agreed to tighter deportation rules and resumed flying convicted criminals of Afghan nationality to their home country, despite suspending deportations after the Taliban took power in 2021 due to human rights concerns.
Berlin last year also announced stricter controls on its land borders with Poland, the Czech Republic and Switzerland. Those and controls on the border with Austria had allowed it to return 30,000 migrants since October 2023.
Faeser said a new model of managing irregular immigration will enable the government to turn back many more. This will have a direct impact on the country’s ability to manage its national security and allay public concern.
It is always a good idea to tightly control borders and all countries should be more vigilant on this issue. The United States is currently allowing in thousands of migrants each week and this does not bode well for the country’s security.
Germany’s decision, therefore, should serve as a good example and the results will determine whether this was a sound move.
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