Germany plans border controls to fight illegal migration

Germany will introduce temporary checks along its borders with Poland and the Czech Republic in a bid to stop asylum-seekers from outside the European Union from coming into the country.

The checks are controversial because Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic are all members of the EU and should therefore have open internal borders as part of the Schengen passport-free travel area.

"We will prepare stronger border controls to better fight human traffickers," Interior Minister Nancy Faeser told broadcaster Deutschlandfunk during an interview.