French mayor criticises German border checks as cars and trains stopped

An increase in border checks by the German authorities following the appointment of its new government will cause difficulties for residents living in Strasbourg, the city’s mayor claims.

These checks are set to increase journey times for people travelling across the Rhine between Strasbourg and Kehl, the German city on the opposite bank of the river, both for those taking their vehicles and using public transport between the two.

In turn, workers, children, and citizens who cross the border on a daily basis face longer and more difficult journeys, with a higher chance of being forced to undergo a border check. 

Transfrontaliers across the Franco-German border will be impacted.

Germany introduced extraordinary checks on people entering the country on land borders from France in September 2024 – before extending them this February – in a bid to reduce illegal migration into the country. 

It means travellers crossing the border will have to show identification such as a passport or valid EU visa if stopped by German authorities.

The temporary end to the standard Schengen ‘open border’ policy between member states is an extraordinary measure that countries can adopt for a limited time. 

France has also instituted these measures along land, sea, and air borders with its EU neighbours. 

Read more: Tourists, foreign residents: How France’s new Schengen border checks will work

Newly-appointed German Chancellor Friedrich Merz quickly made good on pre-election promises to tighten border security further between Germany and its neighbours, including France, by instituting tougher border control measures yesterday (May 8). 

This was done with the aim of rejecting a higher number of migrants attempting to cross into the country through land borders with EU neighbours, but has been criticised by countries including Poland and Austria for the disruption to benign cross-border travel.

French and German authorities criticise changes

French authorities have also criticised the measure, fearful of the potential disruption it will cause.

“We cannot accept that the new German government should tighten controls to the point of complicating the lives of thousands of border workers, hundreds of schoolchildren and families on both sides of the Rhine,” said Strasbourg mayor Jeanne Barseghian in a joint statement with mayor of Kehl Wolfram Britz.

“The fact that [they are being introduced] on the day when we are together celebrating the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War with messages of peace and reconciliation - and on the eve of Europe Day - shows, in our opinion, a lack of historical awareness and tact,” they added. 

The mayors called on Germany’s new Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt to “reduce controls to a level that allows us to preserve our trans-Rhine cohabitation.”

One of the main issues is disruption to public transport between the two cities across the Rhine, as well as for drivers traversing the cities.

“At the time [of the original measures being introduced], we were assured that checks [on drivers] at the Pont de l'Europe, on the tram and on the Ortenau-S-Bahn regional train would be organised in such a way as not to disrupt daily life in our Rhine catchment area,” the mayors said. 

“With the exception of occasional delays to the tram and the Ortenau-S-Bahn regional train due to checks, these promises have been kept…. But that changed overnight on May 8,” the mayors said.