Commission urges EU states to gradually lift internal border controls

The European Commission has called for the gradual removal of temporary border controls currently in place across several European Union member states, including Germany, arguing that recent improvements in migration management have reduced the need for such measures.

In an interview with Germany's Funke Media Group, European Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner said the phased dismantling of internal border checks in the nine EU countries where they remain in force is both feasible and desirable.

“From the European Commission’s perspective, the phased dismantling of border controls in the nine countries where they are currently in place is both possible and advisable, including in Germany,” Brunner said.

The commissioner attributed the recommendation to a significant decline in asylum applications across the EU, as well as what he described as the success of measures aimed at strengthening the bloc’s external borders. He also pointed to the implementation of the EU’s entry-exit system, designed to improve monitoring of non-EU travelers entering and leaving the Schengen area.

“These are steps in the right direction,” Brunner said.

Several EU countries introduced or extended temporary internal border controls in recent years in response to migration pressures and security concerns. Germany, in particular, significantly tightened checks at its borders in the spring of 2025 as part of efforts to curb irregular migration.

By Sabina Mammadli