Germany plans to extend border surveillance measures until March 2027

Border surveillance operations on Germany’s external borders are set to be extended for an additional six months until mid-March next year.

In comments to the German newspaper Bild, Dobrindt stated: “Developments at Europe’s external borders show that curbing irregular migration still requires the imposition of surveillance measures.” The politician from the Christian Social Union had already announced this step last July, when tens of thousands of migrants briefly crossed the border from Morocco to Ceuta, a Spanish autonomous city in North Africa. Almost all of them returned later.

Although borders within the European Union were originally intended to remain open, Germany has resumed surveillance operations on all its external borders since September 16, 2024. Former German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser had ordered this measure to reduce the number of unauthorized entries into the country.

Despite growing criticism, this measure has already been extended three times, with the most recent extension lasting until mid-September 2026. If the European Commission does not object, the surveillance operations will be extended for another six months until mid-March 2027.