Germany begins conducting checks at all its land borders

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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.

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