Germany’s new border controls have created logistical problems in the EU, affecting Poland in particular, whose fleet of commercial trucks is the largest in the bloc, former Polish ambassador to Berlin Andrzej Byrt has told TVP World.
In mid-September, Germany introduced tighter controls at all the country’s land borders in what it called an attempt to tackle irregular migration and protect the public from threats such as Islamist extremism.
The new measures were a response by Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s government to regain the initiative on migration from the far-right, which has witnessed a surge in support following some violent incidents involving asylum seekers.
Byrt said that while Berlin had already reinstated checks along its frontiers with Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria, and Switzerland some time ago, those inspections were “relatively relaxed.”
But he added that “since the introduction of these much more stringent controls, certain bottlenecks have emerged, particularly for long lines of trucks.
“We have to remember that this west-east axis is the most frequented transport route for European logistics.”
Byrt said that Polish trucks, which form the largest transport fleet in the EU, have borne the brunt of the new regulations, saying: “We are really touched by these restrictions.”
He added that such logistical difficulties are impacting not only Polish businesses but also those of Germany and its other western neighbors.
Click on the video above to watch the full interview.
The new measures were a response by Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s government to regain the initiative on migration from the far-right, which has witnessed a surge in support following some violent incidents involving asylum seekers.
Byrt said that while Berlin had already reinstated checks along its frontiers with Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria, and Switzerland some time ago, those inspections were “relatively relaxed.”
But he added that “since the introduction of these much more stringent controls, certain bottlenecks have emerged, particularly for long lines of trucks.
“We have to remember that this west-east axis is the most frequented transport route for European logistics.”
Byrt said that Polish trucks, which form the largest transport fleet in the EU, have borne the brunt of the new regulations, saying: “We are really touched by these restrictions.”
He added that such logistical difficulties are impacting not only Polish businesses but also those of Germany and its other western neighbors.
Click on the video above to watch the full interview.
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