German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser has announced temporary checks at all German borders during the European Football Championship this summer.
"We will carry out temporary border controls at all German borders during the tournament in order to prevent possible perpetrators of violence from entering the country," Faeser told told the Rheinische Post, a German regional newspaper, in comments published on Tuesday.
This was necessary in order to provide the best possible protection for the major international event.
The focus is on protection against extremists, hooligans and other perpetrators of violence, as well as network security against cyber attacks. "We are particularly focused on these current threats," Faeser said.
Euro 2024 kicks off in Germany on June 14, with the final set for July 14.
In 2006, Germany temporarily suspended a European agreement abolishing internal border controls before and during the World Cup.
Faeser had already hinted in recent days that she was considering introducing border controls during the European tournament.
In mid-February, the interior minister extended the controls at the land borders with Poland, the Czech Republic and Switzerland until mid-June in an attempt to stop smugglers and irregular migration.
All four countries are members of the Schengen free-movement area, which means that there are normally no regular border controls and only very limited random spot checks.
But Germany has repeatedly invoked temporary powers to tighten border controls in recent years to control the flow of migrants and asylum seekers. Similar border checks were reimposed along Germany's border with Austria in 2015 and remain in effect.
