On Germany’s Borders, the Emergency Never Ends

Germany’s internal border checks were supposed to be temporary. Introduced in 2015 as an emergency response amid the sharp rise in refugees and migrants reaching Europe, they’ve now become a familiar part of daily life across much of the continent.

Reporter Sam Baker travels to Germany’s borders with France and the Netherlands, where commuters sit in traffic, businesses absorb mounting costs, and local leaders question whether the checkpoints make anyone safer. Along the way, she meets journalist Sandra Alloush, whose experience at one of these border checks changed the way she moves through Europe, and explores why a policy that many acknowledge has significant limits continues to expand.

The story raises a larger question: What happens when democracies begin governing through permanent emergencies? And what does it mean when extraordinary powers become ordinary?

Guests:

Wolfram Britz, Mayor of Kehl, Germany

Maartje van der Woude, Professor of Law and Society at Leiden University

Sandra Alloush, journalist, filmmaker, and advocate for refugee rights

Lucien van Ryswijk, Mayor of Zevenaar

Raquel Garcia Hermida van der Walle, Member of the European Parliament

Additional Resources: 

History of Schengen, European Commission

Racial Profiling Practices at EU Internal Borders, European Network Against Racism (ENAR) and the Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants (PICUM)