Chancellor Olaf Scholz has announced that border controls in Germany will remain in place for another six months. Meanwhile, the leader of the far-right AfD traveled to Budapest to meet with Hungary’s prime minister.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz says temporary controls in place along Germany’s borders will be extended for six months after their planned expiry date in March.

The move comes less than two weeks out from Germany’s federal election, with the issue of migration playing a key role in the campaign.

Scholz said Wednesday that Berlin had notified the European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, about the decision.

The measures were introduced in September last year in a bid to get a handle on irregular migration to the country.

Scholz said there had been 47,000 people turned back at the borders since then, as well as the arrest of 1,900 people smugglers. Asylum applications to Germany also fell by a third in 2024 compared to 2023, he added.

The six-month extension means the controls will remain in place until mid-September this year.

Scholz’s center Social Democrats (SPD) have come under fire for their handling of migration following a series of deadly attacks that were blamed on migrants and asylum seekers.

The party is currently polling in third place on around 16%, putting them on course for their worst-ever election result.

The conservative CDU/CSU bloc, polling in first place, has made cracking down on irregular migration one of their main election pledges.