Germany and Austria agreed to maintain internal EU border controls until the effects of a June 2026 asylum reform become clearer, Interior Ministers Alexander Dobrindt and Gerhard Karner confirmed after meeting in Berlin on 15 July. The two ministers also pledged to promote voluntary returns and enforced deportations of Syrian refugees, with Austria launching financial incentives for Syrians whose asylum claims are pending.
The decision runs counter to EU guidance. European Migration Commissioner Magnus Brunner urged a phased rollback of internal checks after Frontex recorded a one-third drop in illegal external border crossings in the first half of 2026. Germany has operated border controls since 2015, extending them to all land borders from September 2024.
Public sentiment in Germany leans restrictive: a July Ipsos–UNHCR survey found 51 percent of respondents back a full border closure for refugees, though 69 percent still affirm the right to seek asylum.