Koblenz, Germany — April 27, 2026 German court declares border controls unlawful
The Administrative Court in Koblenz has ruled that Germany’s extended border controls, including a recent checkpoint at the German-Luxembourg border, violate EU law.
Court Decision Challenges Border Policy
Germany’s repeated extensions of border controls have been declared unlawful by the Koblenz court, which found the measures incompatible with the Schengen Border Code. The ruling specifically addressed controls scheduled from March to September 2025, though the government had most recently extended them until mid-September 2026.
The case was brought by a man who successfully challenged a border stop at the German-Luxembourg crossing. The court emphasized that such controls are only permissible under EU law if public order or internal security is directly threatened, a condition it said Germany failed to meet.
This marks the first legal setback for Germany’s border policy, which has faced criticism from neighboring Schengen states. The federal government has relied on the controls to manage migration and security concerns, but the court’s decision casts doubt on their legal footing.
EU Law and Schengen Rules
The Schengen Border Code strictly limits internal border controls, allowing them only in exceptional circumstances where there is a “serious threat to public policy or internal security.” The Koblenz court determined that Germany’s justifications did not meet this threshold.