BERLIN, June 12 (Xinhua) -- Border controls around the German Schengen borders have been put in place on Monday in preparation for the G20 summit due to be held in Hamburg next month.
The planned move to strengthen border control during the G20 summit from June 7-8 comes as security experts voiced concerns that potentially violent, left-wing extremists could enter Germany from countries such as Italy and Denmark.
Border controls are to remain in force until July 11. The controls will be coordinated with neighboring countries and the EU commission. Operations will also be flexible to fully adapt to any potential situation, according to the ministry.
Interior Minister Thomas de Maziere stated that the security of the G20 summit was a "top priority."
According to internal affairs experts, the short-term border control will also be used as a litmus test to better understand Schengen migration patterns.
Germany is part of the Schengen agreement. There are no border controls between each Schengen country and people are free to move, trade and live in each country with limited restrictions.
The Schengen border policy allows for temporary border control in case of major events or exceptional conditions. Between November 2015 and January 2017, France declared itself an Emergency State and tightened its border control in response to the numerous terrorist attacks and in light of foreseeable events.
