Police patrol at a highway near the German-Polish border to prevent illegal migration near Bademeusel, Germany September 20, 2023. REUTERS/Lisi Niesner Acquire Licensing RightsBERLIN, Dec 4 (Reuters) - Germany plans to extend its border controls with Poland, the Czech Republic and Switzerland to stem a migration surge and combat people-smuggling until Dec. 15, a spokesperson for the interior ministry said on Monday. Berlin will notify the European Commission of the extension, the spokesperson told a regular news conference in Berlin. Germany announced the stricter controls on its land borders with Poland, the Czech Republic and Switzerland in response to a sharp increase of first-time asylum requests this year. Reporting by Rachel More; editing by Matthias WilliamsOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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Persons: Lisi Niesner, Rachel More, Matthias Williams Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, European Commission, Thomson Locations: Bademeusel, Germany, Poland, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Berlin, Polish