After push in Germany

Expert: border controls will not stop immigration

A border control in Bavaria (symbolic image)

(Bild: APA/dpa/Matthias Balk)

Germany wants to slow down immigration with temporary controls at all national borders - but according to migration researcher Gerald Knaus, this measure is not promising. Nor can it prevent terrorism. Many perpetrators have only become radicalized in Germany, he points out.

"Anyone who expects that border controls will lead to a reduction in irregular migration is creating an expectation that cannot be fulfilled," said the Austrian expert and co-initiator of the EU refugee agreement with Turkey on Deutschlandfunk radio.

Many perpetrators first radicalized in Germany
The reason for this is the extension of the existing selective controls to the borders with Luxembourg, Belgium, the Netherlands and Denmark this Monday. Many EU countries, such as Austria and France, have already had border controls for a very long time as an exception to the rules of the Schengen area, which in itself is free of border controls. But: "It has not reduced the number of asylum applications at all," explained Knaus. Border controls are also not a means of preventing Islamist terrorism, for example, as many of the perpetrators first became radicalized in Germany.

Complete stop to immigration only with the end of Schengen
According to him, this would only be possible with radical measures such as a total end to the control-free movement of travel and goods between EU member states under the Schengen Agreement. "If the idea really is that we stop all irregular migration at the German borders: That can only be done permanently with an end to Schengen. That would also require fences at the green border."

Police officers escort an Afghan onto a charter plane at Leipzig-Halle Airport. (archive picture)

(Bild: APA/dpa/Michael Kappeler)

Knaus also has little hope of speeding up the return of migrants who have already arrived and been registered in another EU country, as the German government is planning to do. "If a country like Italy says we won't take anyone and the European Commission doesn't open infringement proceedings, yes, other countries will see that too," he said.

Expert: EU-wide approach needed
"I fear that the whole approach of preventing irregular migration within the EU, preventing people from moving on, will fail. It has always failed so far." According to him, an EU-wide approach is needed: "We need to reduce irregular migration into the EU, we need a discussion about that."