Germany to reintroduce border controls on all land borders

https://apnews.com/article/germany-border-controls-migration-extremism-2f66ce42140309e9141216cd927e3f11

Some info on why, but no details on how the controls will be implemented.

This adds to restrictions already in place on the land borders with Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria and Switzerland.

So presumably an extension what is already happening at these borders?

Traditionally, European countries in the past have enforced their own borders as they see fit without announcing all the specific details; why announce details that might help those who would thwart the system?

With trains, enforcement officers would typically board at the last foreign station, request a passport from everyone on board as the train crossed the border, and deboard at the first station inside Germany.

Foreign tourists, as long as they carry their passports/visas, will not likely be seriously impacted or delayed.

I noticed this on the DB website the other day when checking on a Warsaw to Berlin train that is now interrupted at Frankfurt (Oder) due to engineering work on the rail line between Erkner and Berlin. It contains this note for the change at Frankfurt (Oder).

In Frankfurt (Oder) finden Kontrollen der Bundespolizei statt. Bitte halten Sie Ihren Reisepass oder Personalausweis bereit. In der Folge kommt es zu zusätzlichen Verspätungen von bis zu 10 Minuten. Bitte Reiseverbindung vor Abfahrt des Zuges prüfen.

Translation:

Federal police checks take place in Frankfurt (Oder). Please have your passport or ID card ready. As a result, there are additional delays of up to 10 minutes. Please check travel connections before the train departs.

This trip I took the train to Frankfurt an der Oder twice and neither time was I checked. Of course, I didn't cross into Poland from there, only got off there. Interesting place to go to as I have not seen it in years since the last time. Going into Poland from Frankfurt an der Oder the seat reservation is mandatory.

I'm curious how this works at a border city like Basel where public transit crosses the border?

List of temporary border controls: https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/document/download/11934a69-6a45-4842-af94-18400fd274b7_en?filename=Full-list-of-MS-notifications_en.pdf

https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/policies/schengen-borders-and-visa/schengen-area/temporary-reintroduction-border-control_en

As you can see it's nothing unusual. Happens all the time even without you knowing about it.

14 years ago a pair of police boarded the train as we crossed from Netherlands into Germany. They asked if a bag in the overhead luggage rack was mine. I said yes and was preparing to show my passport, but they moved on and picked on someone else. Yes, profiling exists. Same on the Railjet crossing from Austria into Switzerland.

I'm curious how this works at a border city like Basel where public
transit crosses the border?

There actually has never been a time when crossing from one country in to another was difficult. I remember how things were before the Schengen treaty. We used to cross borders without formalities then as well. The Schengen treaty just made the facts law.

So Germany is not going to reintroduce border controls on all land borders. This is just political signalling...

So Germany is not going to reintroduce border controls on all land
borders. This is just political signalling...

Well, with only so much in the form of resources and man power, I would suspect that they are concentrating on certain corridors. And I would suspect that if the voters of Germany have a perception that “irregular immigration” is a problem that the government has the responsibility to give those perceptions some attention and not just ignore them.

Not cited as a reason for the checkpoints is the fact that one Schengen country has chosen to open its borders to citizens of a country banned by other Schengen countries, and hopefully this will help control that as well.

We traveled across the border into Basel on Sunday by train for a day trip, and will again today, to get into France. On the way back, Police walked through the train at Basel Bad HBF. They did not ask for passports, but they did pull a POC off the train and escorted him away.

So what will be the impact? I doubt you will see much difference in outbound traffic (people leaving is not their concern), Entering Germany, at border points across from Germany, (Basel, Venlo, Salzburg for my current trip) I would expect to see a heavier police presence.

At the most, they might do what they have in years past, get on the train at Basel, walk through, check passports, then get off at Weil. Then repeat.

Not to trigger anyone, but they likely won't even look at a chubby old white guy like me, or my wife; stopping only to question "immigrant looking" people.

Just an edit to add: For the "I always leave my passport in the room" crowd, keep it on you when taking a train.

I'm curious how this works at a border city like Basel where public
transit crosses the border?

It doesn't , just like id doesn't in Northern Ireland and countless other points along the EU's internal border. It's just a move to keep the Right happy. In 6 months time having achieved nothing but was the taxpayer's money it will be dropped.

but they did pull a POC off the train and escorted him away.

With out checking his passport or his immigration status? Just, you! Come with us!? Terrible. Makes me worry about my son who lives outside of Frankfurt.

With out checking his passport or his immigration status?

Don't take everything you read on the internet at face value especially when it comes from tourists who have little understanding how things work in foreign countries.

Maybe the police did asked the person for an ID just the person telling the story did not capture that, or they already knew that person well? You don't even know why the person was stopped. Besides, there is a requirement in most if not all EU countries to have an ID at all times, or at least be able to identify themselves to the police without any doubt. That applies to tourists as well (those endless discussions about carrying a passport...) Locals speaking local language have no problem with that even if they do not carry an ID- there is a lot of proof that they are there legally.

The police actually often capture the same person several times a day. They pick him up, put him on the first train back across the border, and then on the next train there he is again.
These migrants have no other option than to keep trying, so that is what they do.

The person in question was in the car ahead of us, I did not imply that there was no due process, just stated that he was pulled off the train, so hold your condemnation.

He was then escorted off the platform by 5 officers, but the person in question did not look upset or worried, was even smiling and appeared to be talking to one of the officers.

I did not imply that there was no due process, just stated that he was
pulled off the train,

Correct, you only said:

They did not ask for passports, but they did pull a POC off the train
and escorted him away.

Just had 4 SWAT looking cops board my train. Crossing the Austrian border from Hungary shortly. They just walked through, smiled and looked at each passenger. Quite a few people of all backgrounds in my car. One actually sleeping on my shoulder.