The Greens are urging the European Commission to address the border controls implemented at Germany's land borders with the Czech Republic, Poland, Austria and Switzerland. They say the checks not only go against Schengen values but could result in other drawbacks.
Czech police detained 139 migrants in the first half of 2024, down from 799 held over the same period last year, according to official data.
Hungarian, Czech and Austrian parties have created the Patriots for Europe grouping, which aims to secure more influence for right-leaning and far-right parties in the new European Parliament.
Two Turkish nationals are accused of smuggling 28 migrants in a refrigerated, airtight truck from the Czech Republic to the eastern German state of Saxony over the weekend. Both suspects are in custody.
The Czech government has lifted the temporary checks it placed on its border with Slovakia four months ago.
The German government claims that the introduction of border checks with Poland, the Czech Republic and Switzerland have reduced the number of unauthorized entries.
Poland's new Prime Minister Donald Tusk has said his country would not accept any asylum seekers who would be relocated there under the EU's new migrant pact. However, he did not specify what that could mean in practice.
Apart from the Czech Republic, several European countries have also recently tightened border controls in a bid to curb irregular migration and people smuggling. The movement of an estimated 90% of irregular migrants is believed to be facilitated through smugglers -- which even on land can be deadly.
Countries across the EU have ramped up border security in 2023 to stem the flow of irregular migration: Germany, Austria, Italy, Denmark, Poland, Hungary and Latvia -- to name but a few. Meanwhile, a severe shortage of housing across the bloc has left scores of asylum seekers homeless, sleeping in tents or boats, while offshore detention centers are increasingly becoming more palatable for EU leaders.
Austria will introduce intensified checks at its northern border with the Czech Republic to stem irregular migration and prevent smugglers from changing their routes and evading justice, the country's interior minister announced.
Poland is due to go to the polls on October 15. But as the elections draw near, anti-migrant rhetoric in the Eastern European country is increasing. On Thursday, the country's incumbent leader warned "Islamic fighters" could be among migrants hoping to make it to Europe. But how much of this rhetoric is nothing but scaremongering?
Amid heightened concerns about irregular migration, Slovakia became the latest country to tighten its borders, blaming it on a "chain reaction."