In a significant move to combat illegal migration and disrupt smuggling operations, German, Czech, and Polish police will join forces to conduct joint border patrols. This cooperative effort was announced by German Interior Minister Nancy Faeserova in conjunction with her counterparts, Vít Rakušan from the Czech Republic and Mariusz Kamiński from Poland. The approach mirrors the successful model already in place with Slovak police, showcasing a united front in addressing migration-related challenges.

The decision to implement joint patrols on the Czech and Polish sides of the border comes after the Czech Interior Minister had previously agreed to collaborative Czech-German patrols on the Czech side of the border. In addition to joint patrols, the three ministers have agreed to establish a joint task force aimed at targeting and dismantling smuggling operations.

Interior Minister Faeserova emphasized the goals of this initiative, stating, “Our goal is to disrupt the inhumane activities of smuggling gangs profiting from human desperation and endangering lives. Simultaneously, we aim to detect and prevent illegal entries promptly. To achieve this, we are bolstering joint patrols involving Czech and Polish police along with our federal officers on their respective territories. Furthermore, we are establishing a joint task force to increase the pressure on smuggling groups.”

Vít Rakušan noted that this approach is akin to the one successfully employed with Slovakia, where joint patrols have been overseeing traffic on the Slovak side of the border. Czech police officers will collaborate with their German counterparts in patrolling the border, with the flexibility to intervene on the German side when necessary.

While joint patrols are already operational on the Polish side of the border, discussions between Minister Kamiński and Minister Faeserova during an interior ministers’ meeting in Brussels have led to the decision to enhance and expand these activities.

The inspiration for these joint border patrols can be traced to Germany’s collaboration with Switzerland, where federal German police officers work closely with Swiss police to conduct checks on Swiss territory, effectively preventing illegal migration into Germany.

As part of these efforts, Minister Faeserova also announced the implementation of increased, flexible, and mobile checks along the borders with the Czech Republic and Poland in response to smugglers and illegal migration. These checks will adapt to the evolving situation. She further underscored the importance of establishing a common European asylum system to address the migration crisis and protect the future of open internal borders within the European Union.

While these measures are designed to mitigate the need for permanent border controls in Germany at this time, Faeserova did not rule out the possibility of such controls if the situation deteriorates. Notably, Germany has maintained permanent checks on its border with Austria since 2015, albeit selectively implemented at specific crossings rather than across the entire border.

Article by Prague Forum