Germany has announced additional controls along its borders ahead of the UEFA 2024 European football championship. Interior Minister Nancy Faeser cited Islamist terrorism and hooliganism as possible threats.
German police began temporary checks along Germany’s borders starting on Friday, Interior Minister Nancy Faeser announced.
Faeser said the measure was necessary to ensure the security of the upcoming UEFA European football championship, known as Euro 2024.
The event will be held in 10 different German cities.
Euro 2024 begins June 14 and its final match is scheduled for July 14.
The temporary checks will remain in place until July 19.
What did the Interior Ministry say about the border checks?
“Our focus ranges from the threat of Islamist terrorism to hooliganism and cyberattacks,” Faeser said in a statement.
She said the point of the checks would be to stop violent offenders by identifying them early.
“The federal police will protect the German borders, airports and rail traffic,” she said.
Some 580 police officers from other countries will join German law enforcement in carrying out patrols in the host cities, at railway stations and on trains.
The Interior Ministry said additional controls would be established at the borders with Denmark, France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg.
All five countries are EU member states within the Schengen zone, meaning there are not regular border controls between the countries and police only carry out random checks.
According to the ministry statement, checks would be “flexible and temporary.”
Temporary border checks within the Schengen area
Temporary border checks were imposed in October along Germany’s borders with Poland, the Czech Republic and Switzerland in an effort to curb smuggling and irregular migration.
Switzerland is not an EU member state but has been part of the Schengen free movement area since 2008.
The checks have been extended until mid-December.
Border checks were also implemented along Germany’s southern border with Austria in 2015 and remain in effect.
