Germany turned away 9,097 people at its land borders between January and March this year, according to a government response to a parliamentary question published on 6 May. The data—first reported by the Tagesspiegel and carried by the dts news agency—show that most rejections occurred at the frontiers with France (1,690), Austria (1,397) and Poland (1,250). Although the quarterly total is lower than the 9,273 refusals recorded in the same period of 2025, critics argue that the figures undermine the Interior Ministry’s claim that controls are merely a deterrent. Green Party migration spokesman Marcel Emmerich labelled the practice “symbolic politics that costs millions and solves nothing,” adding that it violates recent administrative-court rulings against blanket push-backs. For multinational companies moving staff across the Franco-German or Danube corridors, the numbers confirm a hardening operational reality: even travellers who clearly intend to file an asylum claim can be summarily refused entry, disrupting onward journeys. Employers should ensure that transferees carry comprehensive documentation—particularly if they are visa-exempt nationals transiting through the Schengen Area—to minimise the risk of mistaken identity checks. Logistics operators that had counted on “green lanes” for perishable goods report average delays of 45 minutes per truck on the A35 and A 12 crossings. Mobility managers are therefore advising drivers to build in longer rest-break windows to stay within EU tachograph limits.
Source: ad-hoc-news / dts
