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00:00With identity checks and increased police presence, border controls between Germany
00:04and France are back. And many residents are not happy with the new restrictions.
00:09I don't understand. This is the European Union. The tram goes from Strasbourg to Kale. But
00:15you don't need a passport for that.
00:18I already drive an hour every day. So if I have to spend more time in traffic jams, that's
00:22too long.
00:24Germany is extending temporary border controls to all nine of its frontiers starting Monday
00:29a part of what it called a crackdown on irregular migration. It plans to allow local authorities
00:34to directly reject migrants at the border, which critics say could face legal challenges.
00:39It's also a test for European unity as Germany shares more land borders with countries than
00:44any other EU member state. The laws of the Schengen stipulate that border controls must
00:49be applied as a last resort measure. But the government defended its decision.
00:55This is a question of law enforcement within the framework of applicable European law,
01:00within the framework of applicable national law and, above all, concerns cases in which
01:04other EU member states are responsible for the asylum procedure.
01:09The new measures come in the wake of several extremist attacks in the country and an emboldened
01:14far right following recent regional elections. But despite the rhetoric peddled by the far
01:19right, studies show unauthorised migration to EU countries dropped significantly overall
01:24in the first eight months of this year.