Rhineland-Palatinate interior minister: 'No fan of border controls' but sees current justification

Statement on border controls

Rhineland-Palatinate interior minister Achim Schwickert (CDU) has expressed reservations about border controls while defending their temporary continuation. In an interview with the German Press Agency (dpa) in Mainz, he made clear that he is not an advocate of such measures and does not wish to see a permanent return to them.

I am not a fan of border controls and I also do not want to return to them permanently.

Nevertheless, Schwickert argued that the current checks remain justifiable for the time being. He sees them as a way to communicate both domestically and internationally that Germany intends to monitor entries more carefully.

But in order to send the signal, both externally and internally, that we want to take a closer look at who is coming in, I still consider that justifiable at the moment.

Legal and practical limits

The minister was equally clear about the long-term perspective. He stressed that permanent border controls are not legally feasible under current rules and would also be pointless.

It is also clear that permanent border controls are legally not possible at all. And it also makes no sense.

This statement draws a firm line under any speculation that the temporary measures could become a permanent fixture. Schwickert’s remarks reflect the balancing act between security signalling and the legal framework governing the Schengen area, though he did not elaborate on the specific legal provisions.

Luxembourg border treated differently

Schwickert highlighted the special situation along Rhineland-Palatinate’s border with Luxembourg. He pointed to the excellent bilateral relations and the high volume of cross-border commuters as reasons why fixed controls would be unsuitable there.

We have very good relations, especially with Luxembourg. Fixed border controls are not appropriate there because of the commuter traffic we have back and forth.

In practice, the approach has already been adapted. Controls have been shifted away from the immediate border line and moved somewhat into the hinterland, a measure that Schwickert indicated is already in place. This adjustment aims to maintain a degree of oversight without disrupting the daily flow of workers and residents who cross the frontier regularly.