European Commission recommends end to internal Schengen border controls

The EU Commission justifies its recommendation with the changed security situation and new instruments at the external borders. EU Commissioner for Home Affairs Magnus Brunner stated: "Under these circumstances, the member states are in a position to work towards the gradual abolition of controls at internal borders."

Background: German Border Controls

Germany has been carrying out controls at all its national borders since September 2024. They were ordered by the then Federal Minister of the Interior, Nancy Faeser (SPD). Her successor, Alexander Dobrindt (CSU), intensified the controls in May of the previous year. The measure has since been extended three times, most recently until mid-September 2026.

In connection with the controls, the EU Commission refers to "more efficient and effective" alternatives. Mentioned are "non-systematic police checks or mobile biometric identification and vehicle tracking technologies." According to the Brussels authority, border controls are generally compatible with European law but must remain a temporary exception.

However, the Commission has not set a deadline by which member states should end internal border controls. The recommendation therefore has more of an appeal character.

Legal Basis and Statistics

The legal framework is defined in the Schengen Code. According to this, a member state should actually only control borders again in the case of "exceptional circumstances" – and indeed "temporarily" and as a "last resort." According to the EU Commission, however, Schengen member states have deviated from the basic principle of unlimited freedom of travel in more than 490 cases since 2006.

Declining Numbers and New Instruments

The current recommendation comes at a time of significantly declining migration numbers. According to the border agency Frontex, the number of irregular border crossings into the EU has decreased by 40 percent in the first third of 2026.

In addition, the new Asylum and Migration Pact will come into force in ten days. A new digital Entry/Exit System at the Schengen external borders has already been in operation since autumn 2025. According to the Commission, these instruments are intended to improve the protection of external borders and thus enable the abolition of internal border controls.

Norway represents a special case: the country is not an EU member but is part of the Schengen area and thus participates in the common rules for freedom of movement.