In an interview published 21 February 2026, Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt confirmed Germany will prolong “temporary” passport checks along its 204-kilometre frontier with Belgium for another six months, citing continued irregular migration via the Western Balkans route. The measure, first introduced in September 2024, had already been renewed four times. Under Schengen rules, internal-border controls should remain exceptional and limited to short periods, a point the European Commission reiterated in a note to Berlin last autumn. Police data show that since the checks began, 46,426 people have been turned back. Belgian officials complain that daily spot inspections around Eupen and Kelmis slow cross-border commuter flows and hamper just-in-time logistics for the region’s plastics and automotive suppliers. Oliver Paasch, Minister-President of Belgium’s German-speaking community, warned the policy “undermines the economic fabric of the Euregio Meuse-Rhine.” German business associations are torn. Manufacturers in North Rhine-Westphalia support strict controls after several lorry break-ins linked to smuggling gangs, but export-oriented SMEs worry about delays in parts deliveries. Deutsche Post DHL reports a 9 % rise in transit times for express parcels routed through Liège cargo airport. The extension also carries political overtones. Dobrindt’s CSU faces a state election in Bavaria in October and is under pressure from the AfD’s hard-line stance on migration. Brussels is reviewing whether to start infringement proceedings if controls persist beyond September. Companies relying on cross-border staff should prepare contingency plans and consider remote-work arrangements until clarity returns.
Source: The Brussels Times
