German Interior Minister announces border controls for the European Football Championships
Published: Tuesday, Mar 26th 2024, 06:11
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The German Federal Minister of the Interior, Nancy Faeser (SPD), has announced temporary controls at all German borders during the European Football Championships this summer. This is necessary in order to provide the best possible protection for the event.
"We will carry out temporary border controls at all German borders during the tournament in order to prevent possible perpetrators of violence from entering the country," Faeser said in Tuesday's edition of the Rheinische Post. The focus is on protection against Islamists and other extremists, hooligans and other violent criminals, as well as network security against cyber attacks. "We are particularly focusing on these current threats."
The European Football Championship starts on June 14. Germany has often carried out temporary border controls when major international events have taken place in the country, including the 2006 World Cup.
It was only in mid-February that the Federal Ministry of the Interior extended checks at the land borders with Poland, the Czech Republic and Switzerland until mid-June. The main aim is to combat smugglers and irregular migration. In addition to the controls introduced in October at the borders with the three neighboring countries, they have also been in place at the border with Austria since autumn 2015, where they will remain in place until around mid-May.
Police union considers security authorities to be well equipped
The German Police Union (GDP) believes that the security authorities are well equipped to protect the European Championships. The deputy federal chairman of the GDP, Alexander Poitz, told the "Rheinische Post" that there is a sophisticated security concept ranging from targeted entry controls to drone defense. Nevertheless, it should not be overlooked that the police not only have to protect the stadiums, but also the numerous public viewing areas and other places where many people will be present during the European Championships. There can be no absolute security. "But we shouldn't be talking up a terrorist attack either. That would only benefit the terrorists."
The German security authorities have not changed their assessment of the Islamist threat to Germany following the devastating terrorist attack on a concert hall near Moscow. This was stated by a spokesperson for the Federal Ministry of the Interior in Berlin on Monday. "This was already high before, as the measures taken by the security authorities against suspected terrorists from the ISPK have shown." Faeser assumes that the Islamic State Province of Khorasan (ISPK) group, known as an offshoot of the Islamic State (IS), is responsible for the attack.
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