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Control by the Federal Police (archive image)

Photo: Daniel Karmann / dpa

In the summer, hundreds of thousands of football fans will travel to Germany for the European Championships. To ensure that only wanted guests are present, Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) has announced temporary controls at all German borders.

“We will carry out temporary border controls at all German borders during the tournament in order to be able to prevent possible violent criminals from entering the country,” said Faeser to the “Rheinische Post”.

This is necessary in order to protect the major international event in the best possible way. The focus is on protection against Islamists and other extremists, against hooligans and other violent criminals, as well as the security of the networks against cyber attacks. “We are keeping a particular eye on these current threats,” says Faeser.

Against the background of the recent attack on a concert hall near Moscow with at least 137 deaths, a spokesman for the Federal Ministry of the Interior said on Monday that "increased measures" would generally be taken for the European Football Championship, especially against Islamist threats. Such an attack would of course lead to “the authorities taking a close look at it” and this would be incorporated into the EM security planning.

Germany had already introduced temporary border controls for the 2006 Football World Cup, among other things. The federal police had also recommended this step for 2024.

Millions of people are expected on fan miles

Faeser had already announced that she would check border controls at all borders for the European Championships. “We are examining the implementation of temporary border controls at the internal borders during the tournament in order to be able to prevent possible violent criminals from entering the country,” Faeser told SPIEGEL in mid-March. International cooperation on security issues is “excellent”.

Many in politics and sport are hoping for a new summer fairy tale, one like 2006, when the World Cup took place in Germany. 2.7 million visitors are expected in the stadiums, and up to twelve million on the fan miles of the ten host cities.

But it's not just the national team's mixed performance that raises doubts. The wars in Ukraine and the Gaza Strip mean that the European Championship will take place from June 14th to July 14th under tightened security conditions.

The authorities are preparing for one of the most endangered sporting events in a long time, as confidential reports available to SPIEGEL show (you can read a detailed analysis here).

jok/dpa