Die reintroduced border controls are to apply from September 16, 2024 to March 15, 2025 at the German borders with Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Denmark. Considering that controls have been in place at the borders with Austria since May, at the borders with Switzerland, Poland and the Czech Republic since June and at the borders with France since July, the country has practically entered the era of border controls in Europe returned.

It is not the only one: in 2024 alone, ten Schengen countries have reintroduced controls at some of their borders for reasons of combating terrorism and controlling irregular immigration.

I have nothing to hide, but I don’t think it’s very fair. You should move on, not go back to the past.

Reactions at the border

The control procedures could be particularly unpleasant for those who live near the border and travel frequently between two countries. Such as the residents of Eupen, a German-speaking town in Belgium just a few kilometers from the border: many go shopping in Germany because the shops there are cheaper and better stocked.

“But if it becomes a problem for me to be able to do my shopping, then I don’t agree with it,” says Andreas, a German citizen who has lived in Belgium for 20 years and married a Belgian woman.

“I think it’s important because we’re in a border area here and every country – it’s a give and take – one country needs things from the other country. I think it’s important that you can travel back and forth.”

Truck drivers are already used to border controls

Truck drivers crossing the border seem to be resigned to losing a few extra minutes due to possible checks. Some of them are already used to the border controls that have been in place for several months: especially those travelling between Eastern Europe and the United Kingdom, who are often forced to show their load after Brexit.

Paul, a driver from Yorkshire, does not seem to be too bothered by the announced border controls, given the efficiency and speed of the German police.

“Since Brexit, we’ve found that the Germans are pretty good at checking: sometimes in less than 15 minutes you can get the paperwork done and be on your way again.”

He frequently crosses the German border when coming from Belgium or the Netherlands, and even though the controls are annoying for drivers, he believes the German government is right to control immigration.

“Six months ago, when my truck was parked, some migrants managed to get into the vehicle and hide. They drove to the border without my knowledge, and then when I stopped, they cut the cover with a knife and jumped out.”

Border controls bring back memories

The border controls are particularly shocking for people who still know the pre-Schengen era and remember the lengthy procedures at the European borders. This is the case of Marijke Van Caekenberghe, a Flemish woman who travels to Germany with her daughter to visit some towns near the border.

“When I was studying, we visited Berlin and I saw the division between the two parts of the city. And now, when I heard the news, I thought, ‘I hope we don’t go back to that time,’ because it was really striking.”

Van Caekenberghe remembers: “In the 1980s, we had to get off the bus and they checked all our passports, checked the bus and our luggage. I thought: we’re not going back to that time, are we?”

She finally asks: “Germany is in the Schengen area: why do they have to control everything now?”