Why is Germany cracking down on migration?

New border rules test the European Union

Photo collage of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz looking pensively at an AfD campaign poster. It reads "it's time for secure borders" in German.
Germany's government "risks putting the EU itself in jeopardy."
(Image credit: Illustration by Julia Wytrazek / Getty Images)

Germany isn't building walls to put an end to mass migration. But the country is tightening its borders — and prompting a fresh debate about the future of the European Union.

The new border controls have "put the unity of the European bloc to the test," said CNN. Under EU rules that allow European citizens to travel visa-free between countries, member states can "temporarily" restrict border crossings in the event of a "serious threat" — and the move must be a last resort. The crackdown comes after a Syrian man linked to ISIS killed three people in Solingen in August. But security may not be the only concern: Chancellor Olaf Scholz has come under pressure amid the rise of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AFD) party and its "explicitly anti-immigrant and anti-Islam agenda."

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Joel Mathis, The Week US

Joel Mathis is a writer with 30 years of newspaper and online journalism experience. His work also regularly appears in National Geographic and The Kansas City Star. His awards include best online commentary at the Online News Association and (twice) at the City and Regional Magazine Association.