Germany border controls a "panic reaction," Dutch border towns say

The municipalities on the Duch-German border are concerned about the border controls Germany is implementing. Joris Bengevoord, mayor of Winterswijk and chairman of Euregio, a partnership of 24 Dutch and 104 German municipalities in the border area, understands that Germany wants to take measures after several stabbings, but the sudden implementation of border controls “feels like a panic reaction,” he told NOS.

The region also had to deal with extra border checks during the European Football Championship in Germany this past summer. Bengevoord remembers the delays that caused. “At some border crossings, waiting times were up to half an hour. I can imagine that if you work in the transport sector, no one wants to stand still for half an hour every time,” he said. The transport sector raised their concerns about the passport checks on Monday.

“If you cross the border once a year, it is manageable. But there are also people who have to cross the border for or five times a day, for example, for work or shopping. If you have to wait every time, that is very annoying for the residents of this area,” the Winterswijk mayor said. “You want people to be able to cross the border freely.”

The Euregio will keep a close eye on the situation, he said. “We will certainly make ourselves heard if this leads to undesirable situations.”

It is not yet clear how Germany plans to carry out the passport checks, though the German police union already raised capacity concerns. According to NOS, they’ll probably be similar to temporary checks Germany is already carrying out at the borders with Poland, the Czech Republic, and Austria. Police officers at the border stop cars that look conspicuous, such as vans with many passengers, while other traffic can pass through.