Germany reintroduced temporary border checks including at its frontiers with France and the Netherlands on Monday. It has toughened its stance on migration following a surge in arrivals and a rise in support for the opposition far-right and conservatives. - REUTERS
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00:00German border police check a busload of tourists crossing in from France.
00:06Germany re-introduced temporary controls on its western and northern borders on Monday,
00:10part of what Berlin says are efforts to control irregular migration and cross-border crime.
00:16Political analysts say they may be aimed at undercutting support for the far right and
00:19opposition conservatives ahead of state and federal elections.
00:24In Frankfurt, on the border with Poland, this resident welcomed the checks.
00:30Here in the border areas we suffer from crime, she says, so it's very good.
00:35But a small group of protesters also gathered.
00:38This placard reads, asylum is a human right.
00:42Germany lies at the heart of Europe, with land borders to nine countries.
00:46So the controls mark a setback to free movement within the European Union, one of its key pillars.
00:52On the border with Luxembourg, few could see the point.
00:57It has a big impact on commuters and it's not up to date.
01:00I doubt if they really catch those people who need to be caught.
01:04It is more of a nuisance than a help.
01:07The new checks have infuriated neighbouring states, who fear they'll have to absorb more asylum seekers
01:13and also worry about the impact on trade.
01:16Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has called for urgent consultations with other affected countries.
01:22Checks will now apply at Germany's land borders with France, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands
01:27and Denmark for an initial six months.
01:30They were already in place at crossings with Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria and Switzerland.
01:36Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said controls introduced last year
01:40had blocked more than 30,000 unauthorised entries.
01:44And that was why they were being expanded.