The Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU) urged the European Commission led by Ursula von der Leyen to fund the construction of fences at the borders of Greece and Poland, according to Euractiv.
Germany reintroduced measures to deport more asylum seekers to EU countries where they were first registered. However, the Commission argued that EU member states bore the responsibility to secure their borders.
The CDU, Germany’s main opposition party, nevertheless opposed it and called on von der Leyen’s Commission to provide more support to the EU, according to Alexander Throm, the party’s leading deputy for home affairs.
I expect the Federal Government and the EU Commission to ensure that we do not abandon states by the external borders such as Poland and Greece. This is a task that affects us all. And anyone who wants secure borders must also commit to border fortifications.
However, the Commission suggested that the EU’s overall approach should focus on “smart solutions” such as surveillance systems rather than fences. Jointly funded border reinforcements remain a sensitive issue, as the German government has previously rejected the idea of EU funding for border protection.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz pointed to the European border security agency Frontex as an existing source of non-defence protection.
At the last EU leaders’ summit in June, Poland and the Baltic states also argued in favour of border reinforcement with EU funds, as the countries faced a resurgence of illegal migration at the border with Belarus.
