Germany's federal police commissioner, Uli Grötsch, has called for a debate on the future of the country's border controls, saying he views the ongoing inspections with growing concern and urging the deployment of modern technology to replace labour-intensive checks. Up to 14,000 officers are currently assigned to border duties, a deployment in place since mid-September 2024 at all land borders.
Grötsch questioned the proportionality of the measures, pointing to Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt, even as unauthorised entries in 2025 fell by 25 percent and initial asylum applications dropped by half compared with the previous year. Complaints of racial profiling have risen sharply: 50 such submissions reached the commissioner's office last year, triggering 33 investigations. Overall citizen complaints surged more than 70 percent to 323.
Dobrindt has dismissed the criticism, calling the controls highly effective. Courts, however, have ruled specific checks unlawful, including a Munich administrative court finding three 2025 inspections illegal. In June 2026, the European Commission recommended Germany begin phasing out the controls.