Border

Frontex notes that the number of detections of illegal border crossings along the EU’s external borders fell 13% last year to around 124,000

The European Commission has encouraged all internal border restrictions to be lifted as of today, but a relatively small number of countries have announced that they will reopen fully and without restrictions.

Germany plans to lift a travel ban for European Union member states plus Britain, Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein and Switzerland from 15 June provided coronavirus infection levels in those countries allow it to do so, government sources said.

A further condition is that the countries concerned open their borders to holidaymakers, the sources said.

The government has decided to open Greek borders for tourists from the European Union, the Schengen area and Israel by July 1 at the latest, but possibly even earlier, from mid-June, Kathimerini understands. 

The relevant announcements are expected on Wednesday or Thursday, along with the unveiling of the government's plan to support the tourist industry.

Germany shut down its borders with France, Denmark, Austria and Luxembourg in an effort to curb the spread of the Covid-19 epidemic at home. Spain and other European Union countries are doing the same. The closure of the Schengen border raises more barriers to individual movements within the EU. 

Germany will close its borders with France, Austria and Switzerland on Monday, according to German newspaper Bild.

The newspaper also said that the free movement of goods would remain, and people traveling on business would also be able to cross borders.

The German government has only heard from reports of the Greek government's plans for a floating fence to secure its maritime borders against migration and does not wish to make any comment, German government spokesperson Steffen Seibert said on Friday.

Seibert pointed to a statement by the European Commission on this issue, noting that it came under its purview.

The longest line of soldiers of both sides of Pakistan and India are at the Wagah border crossing demonstrating power to each other with fast-paced marches and high kicks at both ends of the border to impress and scare the other side.

 US authorities have re-opened the San Ysidro port of entry into Mexico after briefly closing it following an attempt by hundreds of migrants to breach a fence, the Customs and Border Protection agency said Sunday, AFP reported.

More than 3,500 migrants were held Nov. 27 across Turkey while attempting to illegally cross the country’s land borders, the military said on Nov. 28.