• German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt plans to extend border checks at Germany's borders beyond September to curb illegal migration.
• The decision to maintain checks comes in light of tens of thousands of people storming the Spanish exclave of Ceuta in North Africa.
• Despite being part of the EU's Schengen visa-free travel area, Germany has had checks at its borders with Austria since 2015 and with other neighboring countries since 2023.

With tens of thousands of people storming the Spanish exclave of Ceuta in North Africa, German Interior Alexander Dobrindt intends to maintain checks at Germany's borders.

"We will extend the possibility of internal checks beyond September," Dobrindt said on Friday, referring to the EU's internal borders.

In order to maintain the successes achieved so far in curbing illegal migration, "flexible and tailored checks" must be maintained, he said. Dobrindt did not specify until when the checks are to be extended.

Although borders within the EU are supposed to be open, checks have been in place again at all German external borders since September 16, 2024.

Former interior minister Nancy Faeser ordered the move to curb the number of unauthorized entries. Despite growing criticism, the measure has been extended three times - most recently until mid-September 2026.

"The situation in Ceuta highlights the volatile nature of the illegal migration crisis," Dobrindt said, explaining the latest extension.

According to estimates by regional authorities, some 60,000 migrants have breached the border to the Spanish exclave from Morocco in recent days.

Germany is part of the EU's Schengen visa-free travel area, where such checks can only to be introduced as temporary measures. However, there have been checks at Germany's border with Austria since 2015.

In October 2023, the then interior minister Faeser also ordered checks on the borders with Poland, the Czech Republic and Switzerland.

Since September 2024, the German Federal Police have been carrying out checks at the borders with Denmark, France, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands.