Dobrindt extends border controls for another six months - Germany extends internal border checks until September 2026 despite EU tensions
German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) has announced a six-month extension of temporary internal border checks beyond March 15, 2026. "We are extending border controls at our frontiers with neighboring countries," Dobrindt told Bild (Monday edition). "These border checks are a key component of our efforts to overhaul Germany's migration policy," the interior minister added.
The formal notification is currently being submitted to the European Commission in Brussels, Bild reported, citing government sources. Since systematic checks within the Schengen Area are not normally permitted, this procedural step is mandatory under EU regulations.
Dobrindt first ordered enhanced controls and turnbacks at all nine of Germany's internal borders with neighboring states on May 7 of last year. Vulnerable groups, such as children and pregnant women, remain exempt from these measures.
The border checks have drawn irritation from some affected neighboring countries. In December, Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) stated—following an EU agreement to tighten joint asylum policies—that he expected the internal border controls to end. He had "always viewed these checks as a measure of limited duration and impact," Merz said at the time.
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