19 September 2024 Dear Colleague, Germany’s decision last week to reinstate controls at its borders with all nine neighbouring countries runs the risk of creating a chain reaction in Europe. As a new Migration Policy Institute Europe commentary explains, the six-month border controls could not only harden into something more permanent but also could be replicated by other EU Member States. The result could pose a serious threat to the Schengen free movement zone to which Germany and 28 other European countries belong, as well as put the common European asylum system at risk even as the European Union is moving towards implementation of its Pact on Migration and Asylum in June 2026. Launched after a series of attacks allegedly perpetrated by asylum seekers or refugees, the new German border measures reflect growing public concerns about integration, security, and the inability to enforce returns. They also reflect the sense that Germany, the world’s third largest refugee-hosting country, has shouldered a disproportionate share of Europe’s responsibility to offer protection. While billed as a solution for these concerns, the border measures are unlikely to achieve their intended impact, analysts Hanne Beirens, Susan Fratzke, and Camille Le Coz write. They argue for an end to unilateral actions, not least by Germany’s neighbours, and the embrace of a coordinated approach, including an EU-level Dublin task force to resolve the large stock of Dublin applicants clogging asylum systems and reception capacity. They also encourage patience as the pact is implemented, saying its border management, screening, and return procedures could represent 'a game changer’ for Germany. ‘Patience and cooler heads are warranted as preparations for pact implementation are made’, they write. We invite you to read this analysis, which offers useful insights into the challenges facing Europe's migration management systems and potential paths forward. You can find it here: www.migrationpolicy.org/news/germany-eu-migration-crossroads. | 
