Mr Sholz, the leader of the outgoing German government, said border controls had enabled Germany to reduce illegal immigration.

In September 2024, these measures had already been implemented, when almost 47,000 people had been turned back at the border, asylum applications had fallen by a third and 1,900 suspected smugglers had been arrested.

Germany had already introduced border controls with Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria and Switzerland, before extending them in September to all the remaining borders with France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Belgium and Denmark.

The European Union authorises temporary border controls on condition that they are a last resort and of limited duration.