The Koblenz Administrative Court has ruled that additional police checks conducted on the German side of the border with Luxembourg between March and September 2025 were incompatible with the Schengen Borders Code. In its judgment, delivered on 6 May and published on 7 May, the court found no credible threat to public order that would have justified the near-permanent controls. The plaintiff—a Saarland law professor who was stopped while commuting—argued that random ID checks amounted to a de-facto internal border. Despite the ruling, Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) told ARD television that Germany will appeal and will maintain the controls—which were extended in March until at least 15 September 2026—citing irregular migration and smuggling. Legal scholars say the decision could trigger similar challenges at the Austrian and Czech borders, where travellers have reported systematic checks. For corporate mobility teams, the immediate impact is limited: documents will still be inspected, and drivers should budget extra time. But if higher courts uphold the verdict, Germany may have to revert to intelligence-led spot checks, easing congestion for cross-border commuters and freight. EU officials in Brussels declined to comment, but the case adds pressure on the Commission to revisit guidelines on the long-term reintroduction of controls—a subject of growing concern for single-market businesses that depend on friction-free travel.
Source: IamExpat
