Germany will extend temporary border controls by a further six months, the interior ministry said Monday, calling the measures necessary in the absence of 'functional European migration policy'. "An overhaul of migration policy has begun, but we haven't reached the end of the road," Kaminski said. "I cannot give you a specific figure in terms of reductions, but quite simply, there needs to be order when it comes to migration policy," he added. Between mid-September last year and the end of January almost 50,000 people were sent back as a result of the checks, Kaminski said. The anti-migration Alternative for Germany (AfD) party is about level with Merz's conservative CDU in most polls.

Source: The Local February 16, 2026 19:02 UTC