Germany has rejected the European Commission's request to lift internal border controls, amid an ongoing debate in the EU about the future of the Schengen area, writes "Politico".
The migration commissioner said that with the bloc's sweeping reforms to migration policy "the time is right" to gradually lift controls. The EU has already agreed on stricter measures to control external borders, including enhanced screening procedures and greater support for countries with the greatest migratory pressure. The new rules are due to enter into force next week.
Currently, 10 EU countries apply internal border controls, with seven of them citing migration as the main motive. While these measures are generally temporary, in some cases they have been in place for years.
Earlier this week, the Commission called on Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Slovenia and Sweden to gradually lift controls. Poland is the 10th country, but has not been asked to do so.
"The number of [illegal migration]... is decreasing. We are on the right track. The reforms have been implemented. The external borders are better protected. The return regulation has been resolved. ... Now is the right time to gradually lift these border controls," Commissioner Magnus Brunner said ahead of a meeting of interior ministers in Luxembourg.
He added that the Schengen area "must work, it is one of the greatest achievements of the European Union".
German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said that Germany's border controls "are working" and "remain necessary". He said that the protection of external borders "must be significantly improved".
Dobrindt stressed that frontline countries should take back migrants who have moved to other countries in the bloc and that the new mechanism to support the most burdened countries should be accelerated.
"All this has to work together. They all influence each other", he said.
"In recent months we have seen how effective our measures are in curbing illegal migration", he noted, claiming that they have reduced the "pull factor" Germany and have helped fight smuggling.
Luxembourg filed a complaint against German controls last year, and last month the controls were eased but not lifted.
Luxembourg's Interior Minister Leon Gloden welcomed the Commission's push but said it came "nine months late" and that no clear deadline had been given for lifting the measures.