The move to restore border controls traces back to the previous government, citing high unauthorized migrant numbers and strain on reception systems, plus security concerns.

Germany will extend internal border checks for six more months, pushing the deadline into mid-September, according to the Interior Ministry.

Berlin notes a broader decline in migrant inflows to Germany amid geopolitical shifts, a tighter EU migratory environment, a tight labor market, and calls for pragmatism in deportations.

Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt signals a renewed six-month extension of land border controls beyond the March 15 expiration, underscoring ongoing migration and security policy measures.

EU law generally allows six-month border control periods and requires asylum inquiries to occur, but Germany has renewed or broadened measures, including turning away asylum seekers at borders in some cases.

Legal experts describe the move as legally precarious in light of European reforms and upcoming asylum rules.

The extension follows the initial implementation of controls, with thousands of entries registered and tens of thousands turned away since September 2024.

The government has reframed migration policy as a national emergency, restricting family reunifications, tightening border enforcement, and moving toward replacing cash benefits with prepaid debit cards for refugees.

A Berlin court previously ruled some border turnbacks illegal; the government argued that decision applied only to those cases and continued the policy.

International reactions and the political debate over the use and duration of border controls, and their effectiveness, are ongoing.

Opposition Greens criticize the extension as harmful to Europe, overburdening police resources and the economy, and potentially contravening laws by returning people.

Critics argue the asylum system reform could localize controls at Europe-wide borders, a stance echoed by Merz and other opponents who had suggested ending internal controls with GEAS reform.