Latest news with #RheinischePost
eNCA
3 days ago
- Politics
- eNCA
Poland starts border checks with Germany in anti-migrant clampdown
Poland reimposed checks on its borders with EU neighbours Germany and Lithuania on Monday in a bid to crack down on irregular migration amid surging anti-immigrant sentiment creating political pressure in Berlin and Warsaw. Border guards and military police could be seen looking into passing cars and occasionally stopping vehicles for document checks on the bridge connecting the Polish town of Slubice with Frankfurt an der Oder in Germany. The new checks are a response to growing anti-migrant sentiment on both sides of the border. Poland says hundreds of migrants, mostly from the Middle East, cross into the Baltic states from Belarus every month, then travel through Poland into Germany. The issue has become a particularly sensitive one in Polish domestic politics and has led to tensions with Germany. AFP | Wojtek RADWANSKI Warsaw has accused Berlin of sending the irregular migrants it manages to intercept back into Poland. "The checks being implemented aim to combat illegal migration," Interior Minister Tomasz Siemoniak was quoted as saying by his ministry on X. Shortly after the new checks came into force on Monday, Polish border guards detained a man for assisting irregular migration. The Estonian national is accused of transporting four irregular migrants, believed to be from Afghanistan. Siemoniak said the detention was "proof that these checks are necessary". - 'Ping-pong game' - Germany, which introduced checks on the border with Poland in 2023, has welcomed the Polish initiative and called for collaboration against a common problem. Speaking to the daily Rheinische Post, the head of German police union GdP, Andreas Rosskopf, said the two countries needed a "workable procedure". He warned against Polish and German border guards engaging in a "ping-pong game" with asylum seekers by sending them back and forth. AFP | Wojtek RADWANSKI Representatives of German business associations have also voiced concern. "We are receiving worrying feedback from the business community," Helena Melnikov, chief executive of the German Chamber of Industry and Commerce (DIHK), told the Handelsblatt newspaper. "If commuters can no longer get to work reliably and on time at the German-Polish border, there is an increased risk that they will look for work elsewhere on a permanent basis –- with consequences for the shortage of skilled workers in border regions," she said. Marek Klodnicki, an administrative employee who lives in Slubice but works in Germany, said the re-introduction of border controls was "very sad". "We have waited so long for open borders," he said, adding that the checks would result in "a disruption in social and economic life". Business owners, particularly hairdressers and tobacco shops, which get a lot of custom from Germans crossing the border, also voiced concern the checks could disrupt business. "Ninety percent of our customers are Germans. We may have less traffic, less revenue," Kinga Dziuba, a 29-year-old cigarette vendor, told AFP. But Dziuba said the checks were "very much needed" to control migration, adding: "Security is more important to me than trade". The issue of migration was central to June's presidential election in Poland, where nationalist Karol Nawrocki -- who ran on a slogan of "Poland first, Poles first" -- narrowly defeated the candidate backed by pro-European Union Prime Minister Donald Tusk. The Tusk government is now seeking to outflank its rivals by taking a tougher approach to immigration. - Checks 'unnecessary' - In total, 52 checkpoints have been set up on the border with Germany and 13 with Lithuania, Siemoniak said. The controls will last from July 7 to August 5 but could be extended. They will mostly consist of spot inspections, particularly of vehicles carrying several people, officials said. AFP | Damien SIMONART In June, members of a far-right movement gathered at several points along the border to set up "citizens' patrols", which the government insists are illegal. In Slubice, Edyta Taryma, a 54-year-old hair salon owner, said her revenues had already dropped by 20 percent after Germany re-imposed border controls. "A great many people did not come, or came less often, because they were afraid of traffic jams," she said. She called the checks "unnecessary". By Stanislaw Naklicki
Int'l Business Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- Int'l Business Times
Poland Starts Border Checks With Germany In Anti-migrant Clampdown
Poland reimposed checks on its borders with EU neighbours Germany and Lithuania on Monday in a bid to crack down on irregular migration amid surging anti-immigrant sentiment creating political pressure in Berlin and Warsaw. Border guards and military police could be seen looking into passing cars and occasionally stopping vehicles for document checks on the bridge connecting the Polish town of Slubice with Frankfurt an der Oder in Germany. The new checks are a response to growing anti-migrant sentiment on both sides of the border. Poland says hundreds of migrants, mostly from the Middle East, cross into the Baltic states from Belarus every month, then travel through Poland into Germany. The issue has become a particularly sensitive one in Polish domestic politics and has led to tensions with Germany. Warsaw has accused Berlin of sending the irregular migrants it manages to intercept back into Poland. "The checks being implemented aim to combat illegal migration," Interior Minister Tomasz Siemoniak was quoted as saying by his ministry on X. Shortly after the new checks came into force on Monday, Polish border guards detained a man for assisting irregular migration. The Estonian national is accused of transporting four irregular migrants, believed to be from Afghanistan. Siemoniak said the detention was "proof that these checks are necessary". Germany, which introduced checks on the border with Poland in 2023, has welcomed the Polish initiative and called for collaboration against a common problem. Speaking to the daily Rheinische Post, the head of German police union GdP, Andreas Rosskopf, said the two countries needed a "workable procedure". He warned against Polish and German border guards engaging in a "ping-pong game" with asylum seekers by sending them back and forth. Representatives of German business associations have also voiced concern. "We are receiving worrying feedback from the business community," Helena Melnikov, chief executive of the German Chamber of Industry and Commerce (DIHK), told the Handelsblatt newspaper. "If commuters can no longer get to work reliably and on time at the German-Polish border, there is an increased risk that they will look for work elsewhere on a permanent basis -- with consequences for the shortage of skilled workers in border regions," she said. Marek Klodnicki, an administrative employee who lives in Slubice but works in Germany, said the re-introduction of border controls was "very sad". "We have waited so long for open borders," he said, adding that the checks would result in "a disruption in social and economic life". Business owners, particularly hairdressers and tobacco shops, which get a lot of custom from Germans crossing the border, also voiced concern the checks could disrupt business. "Ninety percent of our customers are Germans. We may have less traffic, less revenue," Kinga Dziuba, a 29-year-old cigarette vendor, told AFP. But Dziuba said the checks were "very much needed" to control migration, adding: "Security is more important to me than trade". The issue of migration was central to June's presidential election in Poland, where nationalist Karol Nawrocki -- who ran on a slogan of "Poland first, Poles first" -- narrowly defeated the candidate backed by pro-European Union Prime Minister Donald Tusk. The Tusk government is now seeking to outflank its rivals by taking a tougher approach to immigration. In total, 52 checkpoints have been set up on the border with Germany and 13 with Lithuania, Siemoniak said. The controls will last from July 7 to August 5 but could be extended. They will mostly consist of spot inspections, particularly of vehicles carrying several people, officials said. In June, members of a far-right movement gathered at several points along the border to set up "citizens' patrols", which the government insists are illegal. In Slubice, Edyta Taryma, a 54-year-old hair salon owner, said her revenues had already dropped by 20 percent after Germany re-imposed border controls. "A great many people did not come, or came less often, because they were afraid of traffic jams," she said. She called the checks "unnecessary". Poland has temporarily reintroduced border controls with its EU neighbours Germany and Lithuania, saying they are needed to counter 'illegal immigration' AFP Polish border guards check drivers at the Polish-German border in Slubice, western Poland AFP
Business Recorder
7 days ago
- Business
- Business Recorder
Uniper to cut 400 jobs over ‘challenging' market environment
FRANKFURT: German state-owned utility Uniper on Thursday said it was planning to cut 400 jobs, or around 5% of its staff, citing a challenging energy market environment that includes falling wholesale power prices. Citing 'challenging market developments and regulatory delays', Uniper also said it would look for other ways to cut costs to safeguard its profitability. Newspaper Rheinische Post earlier reported the job cuts.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Borussia Mönchengladbach's Ko Itakura appears headed to Frankfurt
The Rheinische Post reports Borussia Mönchengladbach defender Ko Itakura's most likely destination will be Eintracht Frankfurt. The Japanese international's lack of a future with his current Bundesliga club has never been in much doubt. RP claims that Eintracht are prepared to engage in a serious pursuit. The SGE must compensate for the presumed loss of long time defensive stalwart Tuta, who is being heavily linked with an exit. Itakura has been linked with a move to a whole plethora of Bundesliga sides, including Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund at one point. Advertisement Gladbach remain eager to complete Itakura's sale in order to raise capital and pursue their own summer transfer needs. Though the 28-year-old only maintains an estimated €12m market value, the foals can easily secure several million more for him. Itakura just completed a highly successful season in which he scored three of his career six Bundesliga goals. A €15-20m price tag seems reasonable. GGFN | Peter Weis
Japan Today
02-06-2025
- Politics
- Japan Today
German border police's expulsion of asylum seekers unlawful, court rules
By Kirsti Knolle Germany has acted unlawfully by turning away asylum seekers at the border, a Berlin court ruled on Monday, citing a case in which border police expelled three Somalis who tried to enter the country from Poland. The two men and a woman were sent back to Poland from a train station in the eastern city of Frankfurt an der Oder on Germany's eastern border on the grounds that they had sought to enter from a safe third country, a court statement said. The ruling could challenge the tougher migration stance by Chancellor Friedrich Merz's conservative-led coalition, which was elected in February promising a crackdown that has caused concern in neighboring countries. It is the first such case since Merz was elected, RBB media said, citing a court spokesperson. The court was not immediately available for further comment. Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt defended the expulsions, saying he would provide the court with justifications for banning entry. "You can see how dysfunctional the whole asylum system is. The numbers are too high. We are sticking to our practice," he told reporters. The court called the rejection of the applicants "unlawful" in a statement, explaining that their asylum application should have been processed by Germany under the European Union's so-called Dublin rules that determine which country is responsible for processing an asylum application. "However, the applicants could not demand to enter the Federal Republic of Germany beyond the border crossing," it added, saying that the application could be processed at or near the border. Migration is among German voters' biggest concerns and a backlash against an influx of new arrivals has contributed to a rise in the popularity of the far-right Alternative for Germany party, which came second in a federal election in February. It is a profound shift since Germany's "Refugees Welcome" culture during Europe's migrant crisis in 2015 under Merz's conservative predecessor, Angela Merkel. Merz's government issued an order in May to reject undocumented migrants, including asylum seekers, at Germany's borders. GREENS' CRITICISM Monday's ruling was seized on by the Greens party, now in opposition, which said it vindicated their stance that Merz's migration crackdown was unworkable. "This is a severe defeat for the federal government and should serve as a warning to abide by the law in the future and not knowingly exceed its own powers for populist purposes," Greens lawmaker Irene Mihalic told the Rheinische Post newspaper. "The border blockades were a rejection of the European Dublin system and have offended our European neighbors." Dobrindt said last week he hoped the EU can reach a bloc-wide agreement allowing for failed asylum seekers who cannot go home to be sent to safe countries near their original homelands. Karl Kopp, managing director of pro-immigration advocacy group Pro Asyl, told the Rheinische Post that Dobrindt's "unlawful practice of national unilateral action in asylum policy" should end and that the three Somalis should to be allowed to re-enter Germany. The European Commission, the EU's executive body, proposed a scheme last month that would let member states reject asylum applications by migrants who passed through a "safe" third country on their way to the bloc. The proposals, criticized by rights groups, have yet to be adopted by national governments or the European Parliament. © Thomson Reuters 2025.
