A common text, published on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the End of the Second World War. The mayors of Strasbourg (Bas-Rhin) and Kehl, a German city on the other side of the Rhine, denounced on Thursday the border controls reinforced by the new government of the German Chancellor Conservative Friedrich Merz which “complicate” the life of cross -border workers.
“We cannot accept that the new federal government is strengthening controls to the point of complicating the lives of thousands of cross -border workers, hundreds of schoolchildren and schoolchildren, as well as families spread over both sides of the Rhine,” write Spare Mininmayor of Strasbourg, and Wolfram Britz, mayor of Kehl, in a joint declaration.
“The fact that he does it the day we commemorate the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War with messages of peace and reconciliation-and on the eve of Europe Day-testifies, in our opinion, a lack of historical conscience and tact,” they continued. The two elected officials ask the German Chancellor and his Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt “to reduce the controls to a level which allows us to preserve our transrhenian cohabitation”.
Hardened migration policy
In normal times, French and Germans easily cross the border, taking the bridge of Europe which crosses the Rhine, the main crossing point, by car, by bicycle or taking the tram line which links Strasbourg and Kehl. But the controls were reinforced by the new German government which, barely in place, hardened its migration policy and announced on Wednesday that most asylum seekers will be turned back to the borders. So this Thursday morning, according to The latest news from Alsacethese new controls caused traffic jams of about 30 minutes.
In September, Berlin had already Restified border controls for six months To combat illegal immigration, arousing criticism within the European Union. “At the time, we were assured that the checks at the Pont de l’Europe, in the tram and in the ORTENAU-S-BAHN regional train would be organized so as not to disturb daily life in our Rhenish living area,” said Barseghian and Britz.
“With the exception of punctual delays from the tram and regional train from ORTENAU-S-BAHN due to the controls, these promises were held,” admitted the two elected officials who regretted that “it changed overnight, on May 8”.
