The checks began several days ago at the border between Luxembourg and Germany, where border police were stopping vehicles on the A64.
Federal police are also carrying out border checks in the Trier region prior to the tournament’s launch on 14 June. The controls are designed to prevent potentially violent football fans, or politically motivated extremists from entering the country.
In March, German interior minister Nancy Faeser told the Rheinische Post newspaper that the checks were necessary to protect the major international event as much as possible.
According to Faeser, the German authorities are particularly seeking to protect against Islamists and other extremists, hooligans and violent criminals. They are also increasing security online to protect against cyberattacks. “We are paying particular attention to these current threats,” she said.
Germany had already launched reinforced border control on its borders with Poland, Czechia and Switzerland to curb immigration, after establishing fixed controls on its border with Austria.
The opening game of the tournament will take place on 14 June in Munich, concluding with the final in Berlin on 14 July. As a result, there will be additional border checks with France, Luxembourg, Belgium, Denmark and the Netherlands.
