Politics France: continued border controls against migration

France wants to maintain controls at its borders in order to curb irregular migration. Controls will be maintained "for as long as necessary", in accordance with European rules and in line with Germany's decision, said Prime Minister Michel Barnier in his government statement in Paris. In addition, the European border protection agency Frontex should be strengthened in order to better monitor the EU's external borders, said Barnier.

France introduced controls at its borders after the Islamist attacks in 2015 for reasons of terrorism protection and has repeatedly extended the controls, which are possible for six months at a time. Most recently, border controls have been in place in France since the beginning of June in connection with the Olympic Games, which will expire at the end of October. During the border controls, France also turned away and sent back migrants who did not have the necessary entry documents.

Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) had ordered that there should be stationary controls at all land borders from September 16. She justified the additional controls, which affect France, Denmark, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg, with irregular migration. Such controls have been in place at the borders with Poland, the Czech Republic and Switzerland since mid-October. They were introduced at the German-Austrian land border in the fall of 2015. Border controls are not actually planned in the Schengen area.

In order to reduce the number of migrants living illegally in France and to be able to deport a larger number of those affected, Barnier also announced an extension of detention pending deportation from 90 to 135 days. Last week, France was rocked by the violent death of a Parisian student who was allegedly killed by a migrant who had previously been released from detention pending deportation.