Corona crisis: Horst Seehofer seeks to extend border controls until 15 May

According to the will of Federal Minister of the Interior Horst Seehofer (CSU), the controls at German borders introduced because of the Corona pandemic are to be extended until 15 May. He will present a proposal to this effect in the Corona Crisis Cabinet this Thursday, a ministry spokesman confirmed. A vote on this was also planned with the prime ministers of the federal states affected by the controls.

The controls introduced in mid-March are currently limited to 4 May. Since then, the borders with Austria, France, Luxembourg, Denmark and Switzerland have been monitored. On the other hand, there is no control at the crossings to Belgium and the Netherlands. However, monitoring in the 30-kilometre border area has also been stepped up in these sections.

Entry into the EU also restricted until 15 May

Since mid-March, people who are neither German citizens nor permanently resident here are only allowed to come to Germany for a “good reason to travel” because of the Corona pandemic. For example, lorry drivers or EU citizens travelling through Germany to their home country are allowed to enter. Entry is also restricted to certain border crossings.

Until 15 May, entry into the European Union from third countries is in principle only permitted in selected cases. Since 10 April, almost all returnees in Germany have had to go into domestic quarantine for two weeks after a stay abroad lasting several days. In fact, there are no border controls in the Schengen area. In recent years, however, several states had used a derogation and partially reintroduced it.

The Foreign Office’s worldwide travel warning for Germans was not extended until mid-June until Mid-June. This means that anyone who has booked a trip abroad via Pentecost can cancel it after the decision of the Cabinet, citing the warning of the Foreign Office.