BERLIN (AP) — Germany is considering establishing short-term border controls with Poland and the Czech Republic to keep irregular migrants from entering the country, a government official said Friday.
Interior Minister Nancy Faeser told German newspaper Welt am Sonntag that setting up temporary police checks on border crossings would help Germany prevent the smuggling and trafficking of people.
She added that the increased border checks would need to be combined with the already ongoing random police checks that are being carried out.
Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic belong to the European Union's visa-free zone, commonly known as the Schengen Area.
Political Cartoons View All 1176 ImagesFaeser is also discussing with the Czech Republic the possibility of German police officers operating on Czech territory, similar to an agreement that Germany has struck with Switzerland.
Persons:
Nancy Faeser, Faeser
Organizations:
BERLIN, —, Welt, German Interior Ministry, Swiss, EU
Locations:
— Germany, Poland, Czech Republic, Germany, Schengen, Czech, Switzerland, “, Turkey, Russian, Ukraine