Oliver Towfigh Nia
31 July 2026•Update: 31 July 2026
Germany will extend internal border controls beyond September following a surge in irregular migration linked to the Spanish exclave of Ceuta, Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said Friday.
"We will extend the possibility of internal border controls beyond September. The situation in Ceuta highlights the volatile state of affairs regarding illegal migration," Dobrindt said, according to the German Press Agency.
To preserve progress in curbing irregular migration, "flexible and tailored internal border controls" must be maintained, Dobrindt said. He did not specify how long the extension would last.
Although border-free travel is a core principle of the EU's Schengen area, Germany has reintroduced checks at all of its land borders since Sept. 16, 2024. Then-Interior Minister Nancy Faeser introduced the measure to curb unauthorized entries.
Despite growing criticism, the controls have been extended three times, most recently until mid-September 2026.
Initial estimates from security forces showed that around 49,000 irregular migrants entered Ceuta from Morocco in recent days, according to news agency EFE.
Thousands of migrants who entered Ceuta irregularly in recent hours reportedly began returning to Morocco through the same crossing point they had used to enter.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said the government was mobilizing all available resources in response to the situation.
