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Hamburg – To contain illegal immigration to Germany, the Bundestag group of the liberal Free Democrats (FDP) is calling for an extension of the border controls introduced for the European Football Championship. This should initially apply until winter, according to a paper that the group decided on at its retreat in Hamburg.
«Internal border controls are a considerable burden and must therefore always be the last resort,» it says. But: «They are currently necessary in order to combat irregular migration and to put an end to the inhumane and criminal business of smugglers.»
In situations where border controls are necessary to a certain extent, but closed internal borders are disproportionate and unnecessary, the Liberals are calling for a tightening of the Schengen rules. The Schengen Area allows more than 400 million people to move freely between member states without border controls.
The FDP also demands that Germany continues to provide the necessary resources to the EU so that member states can be supported in the expansion of border protection capacities and infrastructure for the protection of external borders. The European Border and Coast Guard Agency Frontex must be further strengthened and its expansion accelerated.
If Germany is not responsible for an asylum procedure according to Dublin rules, this must be determined quickly and the person concerned must be promptly transferred to the responsible member state. Returns must not fail because the statutory deadlines for this are not met. (September 5)