Berlin, Germany – German Chancellor Olaf Scholz says temporary controls in place along Germany’s borders will be extended for six months after their planned expiry date in March.

The move comes less than two weeks out from Germany’s federal election, with the issue of migration playing a key role in the campaign.

Scholz said on Wednesday that Berlin had notified the European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, about the decision.

The measures were introduced in September last year in a bid to get a handle on irregular migration to the country.

Scholz said there had been 47,000 people turned back at the borders since then, as well as the arrest of 1,900 people smugglers. Asylum applications to Germany also fell by a third in 2024 compared to 2023, he added.

The six-month extension means the controls will remain in place until mid-September this year.

Scholz’s centre Social Democrats (SPD) have come under fire for their handling of migration following a series of deadly attacks that were blamed on migrants and asylum seekers.

The party is currently polling in third place on around 16%, putting them on course for their worst-ever election result.

The conservative CDU/CSU bloc, polling in first place, has made cracking down on irregular migration one of their main election pledges.

Weidel in Hungary

Meanwhile, Alice Weidel, the chancellor candidate for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), is in the Hungarian capital to meet Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

The two were to hold talks at Orban’s official residence in the former Carmelite monastery in Budapest Castle. According to the Hungarian government, the pair were set to discuss the ‘European migration crisis’.

The two politicians share a number of views, including a hardline stance on immigration and a desire to rebuild relations with Russia.

The AfD has seen its popularity grow in recent years and it’s currently polling in second place ahead of Germany’s federal elections, scheduled for February 23.

Wednesday’s visit marks the first time Orban has hosted a politician from the far-right German party.

The Hungarian leader has sought to bring together far-right and right-wing forces in the European Parliament as part of the Patriots for Europe group he helped launch last year.

The group does not currently have a German party as a member.

DW