BERLIN — Germany plans to start loosening its border controls this weekend after two months of restrictions.
Interior Minister Horst Seehofer said Wednesday that checks on the border with Luxembourg will be dropped after Friday. On the borders with France, Switzerland and Austria, all border crossings will be opened — rather than selected ones at present — and authorities will switch to spot rather than systematic checks.
Seehofer said that the aim is to restore free travel across those three borders on June 15, so long as coronavirus infections allow.
Germany imposed checks on its borders with France, Switzerland, Austria, Luxembourg and Denmark on March 16 and people “without a valid reason to travel” haven’t been allowed to cross. Eastern neighbors Poland and the Czech Republic closed their own borders.
Seehofer said Germany is prepared to relax controls on the Danish border, but Denmark is in the process of consulting with its other neighbors.
