Could Germany's new border controls end up getting revoked by Brussels?

The German government ordered spot passport controls at all its land borders from Monday morning, going against the EU's free movement principle.

Transcript

00:00German border police are carrying out spot passport checks on all of its land borders

00:05from Monday morning.

00:06Queues at borders, particularly in the north and west of Germany, are expected, with transport

00:11companies and border commuters preparing for waiting times.

00:16Migration expert Svenja Niederfranke explains why this is happening.

00:20In the current political climate, the German government wants to show that they are doing

00:24something.

00:25And with the upcoming elections and the past elections, this is very important political

00:29signalling of course.

00:31And it signals we take back control of our borders.

00:38Research has shown usually with these border checks, it's usually not the big fish, it's

00:43the smaller fish that will get caught.

00:45And not every single smuggler will get caught either because obviously they know where the

00:49border checks are and they will find different ways to do it.

00:53The German government is hoping that these checks will lead to those who have been banned

00:57from entering Germany being turned away at the borders.

01:00And what about the public's perception of these extended controls?

01:03We asked people in Berlin.

01:05I don't think there will be a lot of new border checks.

01:08I think through Schengen, Europe has gained a lot.

01:11I still know Europe from the time when there was a border in every country and I enjoy

01:19that it is the way it is at the moment.

01:22And I think the problem is not the migration, but rather the integration in Germany.

01:28I am irritated and I believe that it is a decision towards populism and populist politics.

01:38No, I don't think it will change anything because there will still be a lot of workers

01:43lacking in a lot of industries and the sentiments are probably like the rejection of immigrants

01:53is probably deeper rooted, if I may say, in the socio-economic context and other things.

02:00I don't think it will bring anything.

02:06With police and authorities carrying out these checks from Monday morning, experts and a

02:11police union are warning that they need thousands more personnel to carry out these controls.

02:16However, with the federal budget already so stretched, it seems unlikely that these positions

02:22will be created.

02:24Liv Stroud in Berlin for Euronews.