EU Commission Pushes for Phasing Out Border Controls - "Also in Germany"
The EU Commission says border checks in Germany and eight other member states can be reduced as asylum numbers have fallen sharply.
Intelligence analysis by GPT-5.4 Mini
EU migration commissioner Magnus Brunner says the EU can start rolling back temporary border controls in nine member states, including Germany, because asylum applications have dropped sharply and new EU border tools are taking effect.
The EU is saying some border checks can be turned down a bit, like lowering the volume on a radio, because fewer people are asking for asylum and new rules are starting to work. Germany is one of the countries where these checks still happen.
Analysis
What the Commission is saying
The European Commission wants national border controls in Germany and eight other EU member states to be reduced step by step. Migration Commissioner Magnus Brunner told Funke newspapers that such a rollback is “possible and also appropriate” in countries where temporary checks are still in place.
Why now
Brunner points to two main reasons. First, he says asylum numbers have fallen “drastically.” Second, he argues that measures already adopted at the EU level are beginning to work, especially stronger external border protection and a common EU entry-exit system.
The German context
Germany is formally part of the Schengen area, where regular internal border controls are supposed to be the exception. In practice, several countries still use temporary checks. Germany is one of them. Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt ordered tightened controls at Germany’s borders in spring last year, shortly after the new black-red federal government took office.
Timing and political weight
The Commission’s push comes one week before the European asylum reform is due to enter into force next Friday. That reform is meant to reduce the number of asylum seekers entering the EU and includes tougher rules for asylum applicants, including in Germany.
The article does not say Germany will immediately end border checks. It reports a Commission argument for a gradual reduction, based on falling asylum figures and the belief that the new EU framework is starting to deliver results.
Key points
- The EU Commission says phasing out border controls in nine member states, including Germany, is possible and appropriate.
- Magnus Brunner says asylum numbers have fallen sharply and EU border measures are beginning to work.
- Germany has had tightened border checks since spring last year under Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt.
- The push comes shortly before the EU asylum reform takes effect next Friday.
- The article frames the move as a gradual rollback, not an immediate end to controls.
If the EU’s reading is right, Germany could slowly move back toward normal Schengen travel while keeping migration management tighter through common EU tools. That would reduce friction at borders without abandoning the new asylum framework.
If asylum pressure rises again or the EU tools do not work as expected, easing border checks could become politically difficult to defend. Germany may also keep the controls longer if domestic security or migration concerns remain high.
