Germany is boosting checks on its land borders to tighten migration controls, following a deadly knife attack by a Syrian asylum seeker last month.
According to an order issued earlier by German Minister of the Interior and Land Nancy Faeser, German police will implement border inspection measures at the border ports with Luxembourg, Belgium, the Netherlands and Denmark beginning on Monday. This temporary control measure will last six months and may be extended after its expiration.
Every day, 25,000 vehicles pass through Piding, the German-Austrian border crossing where controls have been in place for almost 10 years. On Monday, the adoption of these measures will be extended to all of Germany's land border points.
People hold different views on the new control measures. Some fear traffic jams and delays, while others say it is a right action against illegal immigration.
"I think this is a weakness for the European community, because we open all the borders, (so) closing it is a step-back," said a driver crossing the border.
"I find it's quite good for Germany, so lots of illegal [immigrants] are out there. And I think it's good that we do something against that," said another driver.
Whether German police will start refusing to accept asylum seekers at its borders is still unclear. Negotiations between the government and opposition parties have been turbulent.
But Germany's neighbor, Austria, is concerned over the effects of the new border arrangements, and insists its policies will remain the same.
Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner said that they will not take in anyone who has been refused illegal entry to Germany.
In the first half of this year, illegal migrant crossings into Germany actually fell by 7 percent, compared with the same period of last year.
Germany to tighten migration controls on land borders
Spanish students have expressed their expectation that a healthy China-U.S. economic and trade relationship will inject greater stability into the global economy and create greater opportunities for Spain.
On Sunday, Chinese and U.S. delegations convened in Paris, France for talks on economic and trade issues. Guided by the consensus reached by the two heads of state in Busan and their subsequent phone talks, the two sides will conduct consultations on economic and trade matters of mutual concern.
Ahead of the talks, members of the public in Madrid, Spain, shared their views on China–U.S. economic and trade relations with China Media Group (CMG). They agreed that reaching an agreement between the world’s two largest economies would have a direct impact on the global landscape.
"They are the two countries that contribute the most economically, in a manner of speaking, to the rest of the countries. They are major importers and exporters. So I think that a satisfactory relationship between them can be very beneficial for all other countries," said Claudia, an engineering student.
Noting that both sides are important trading partners of Spain, the interviewees stated that a healthy, stable and sustainable China-U.S. economic and trade relationship also affects various aspects of the Spanish society, and that agreements between the two countries would help promote Spain's economic growth.
"I do think that it could have a certain effect on the Spanish economy, both in terms of prices, and I would dare say employment as well. Because I think that if those two great powers reach an agreement, Spain could also get in on the action. It would create quite a few jobs in Chinese and American multinationals for all Spaniards," said Claudia.
"Spain is caught in the middle; it has good relations with both the U.S. and China. If it gets on the bad side of either one, it could be hit hard, because Spain mainly relies on tourism -- well, other things too, but essentially tourism, construction and agriculture. It's very important to have more help and trade with all countries around the world," said Denis, a law student.
Spanish students say stable China-US ties benefit global economy
