Asylum and terrorism are Denmark's justifications for monitoring its border with Germany, and the latter criticizes them.

Danish border control is once again facing criticism from the German side, as it has been criticized several times for causing traffic problems for residents in the border country.

This time the criticism comes from Robert Habeck, the German minister and deputy prime minister.

According to the Nordschleswiger newspaper, Habeck stated that he believes the controls should be abolished: “Refugees and the coronavirus pandemic were justified as reasons for introducing temporary border controls. These territories have now disappeared. Border control should do the same.”.

Robert Habeck represents the Green Party in the German parliament and is also the Minister for Climate and Economy in the German government, but he speaks in this regard as an elected member of parliament for the city of Flensburg.

According to the German minister, border control is a daily burden on the residents of the border city.

This is not the first time that border controls have been criticized by members of the German parliament. In June, Danish-German politician and German parliamentarian Stefan Seidler sent a complaint to the Danish government about the long queues of cars at border controls, explaining that the waiting time made daily life difficult for citizens living near the border.

Danish politicians in South Jutland also complained about the traffic situation.

It was the right-wing government (the Blue Bloc, i.e., the current opposition) that introduced the temporary border controls, following the arrival of many refugees from Syria at the Danish border in the fall of 2015.

Since then, both the then and current governments have continuously expanded border controls.

On May 12, the government extended its control over border surveillance for another six months.

Last April, then Justice Minister Nick Hækkerup sent a letter to the European Commission justifying the government's control over the border.

The letter stated that the Terrorism Analysis Centre within the Internal Oversight Service assessed that the threat of terrorism against Denmark remains serious.