Refugee crisisGermany to lift border controls by mid-May
With the number of migrant arriving n Germany from Austria slowing down to a trickle, the German interior minister said border controls on the Austria-Germany border would be lifted by mid-May. Germany is facing a problem on another front, as more and more migrants are arriving from Italy, using the Brenner crossing, a major gateway for goods and people heading north from Italy.
German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere yesterday (Tuesday) that Germany may end temporary border controls if the number of migrant arrivals continued to decrease.
“According to the current estimate, if the numbers remain this low, we would not continue border controls beyond May 12,” de Maiziere told Austria’s ORF television.
De Maiziere said the number of migrants entering Germany through Austria had fallen to zero, in contrast to last year, when thousands arrived daily. He added that in March, the average had dropped to roughly 140 per day.
DW reports that by tightening its border control measures, Austria played a key role in blocking the “Balkan route,” used by hundreds of thousands of migrants to get from Greece to richer EU countries in northern Europe, especially Germany and Sweden.
More than one million refugees and asylum-seekers arrived in Germany in 2015.
There has been a growing opposition in Germany to Chancellor Angela Merkel’s lenient policy toward asylum seekers, led by law makers of her own conservative Christian Democratic Party and its Bavarian branch, the Christian Social Union (CSU).
Analysts note that de Maiziere’s statement is a change of direction for Germany, which, in January, announcement that the border controls would be extended indefinitely. Still, while the flow of migrants from Austria into Germany has slowed down to a trickle, there may be problems on other fronts.
De Maiziere warned Italy that Germany may impose it could face transit restrictions at the Brenner crossing, a major gateway for goods and people heading north from Italy.
“We hope that it will not have to be necessary to decide on such matters,” de Maiziere said. “That is assuming that the numbers coming to Italy are not too high. That is assuming that Italy fulfils its obligations.”
