The German Interior Minister announced, “As of June 1, I will close the borders completely,” adding that the measure also affects the western borders. Nancy Weisz also noted that sporadic controls have already been imposed on the Polish, Czech, Austrian and Swiss borders. The head of the Interior Ministry noted that the purpose of this measure is to prevent the possible entry of violent criminals, while very strict border control also serves to protect foreigners visiting the European Union.
There have been examples of similar strict border controls in the past, such as during the 2006 World Cup AnswerThe minister stated that he did not provide any details about the “closure.” However, the head of the police union has previously spoken about how drones, combined with very strict controls, are used to protect against illegal entry.
The minister was also asked what the authorities are doing to prevent possible riots by fans, such as the one that occurred over the weekend in the German Cup final at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin, when the Bayer Leverkusen-Kaiserslautern match was often disrupted with various pyrotechnic devices. According to Nancy Vizer, this cannot be repeated in the European Championship, because the security measures, as she put it, will be more stringent, and the European Football Association also imposes strict requirements.
Weiser also noted that there is close cooperation between federal and state authorities regarding security measures, and according to him, there is no security risk that the European Championship will be held in ten locations between June 14 and July 14.
According to previous reports, entry to the stadiums hosting the matches takes place in two stages. First, at the entrance to the outer security ring, the electronic ticket that can be presented on the mobile phone is checked by security personnel, and the fans' clothes are also searched. In the next internal security loop, the entrance is checked again at the turnstiles.
Parking will be strictly limited, no vehicles may be parked in the immediate vicinity of the stadiums, and only those with a valid permit are permitted to enter designated security areas. Fans arriving by car will have to park their cars away from the arenas and can reach match venues by public transport.
