BERLIN (AP) — The German government on Monday ordered temporary controls at all land borders, expanding controls already in place at some borders in response to irregular migration and to protect the country from extremist threats.

“We are strengthening our internal security through concrete measures and continuing our tough stance against irregular migration,” said Interior Minister Nancy Faeser at a press conference.

The ministry said it had informed the European Union on Monday of the order to introduce border controls at the land borders with France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Belgium and Denmark for a period of six months, starting next week on September 16.

In addition, there are already existing restrictions at the land borders with Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria and Switzerland.

“Until we achieve strong protection of the EU’s external borders with the new Common European Asylum System, we must strengthen controls at our national borders even further,” said Faeser.

She pointed out that since last October, more than 30,000 people trying to cross the border have been turned away in Germany.

“This served to further limit irregular migration and to protect against the acute dangers posed by Islamist terrorism and serious crime. We are doing everything we can to better protect the people in our country from this,” she said.

The order came at a time when the coalition government under Chancellor Olaf Scholz is under pressure to take a tougher stance on irregular migration.

Last month a deadly Knife attack in Soligen three people were killed. The perpetrator was a Syrian asylum seeker who claimed to have been inspired by the terrorist militia “Islamic State”.

Only recently, the police in Munich an exchange of fire with a shooter near the Israeli consulate last week, fatally wounding him. Authorities believe he planned the attack on the consulate on the 52nd anniversary of the bombing of the 1972 Munich Olympics.

Germany has taken in large numbers of refugees from the Middle East over the past decade, but now there is a political backlash. Support for a right-wing extremist party is growingThis party, Alternative for Germany, won his first state election At the beginning of the month in Thuringia and was also strongly represented in Saxony, another federal state.

In June, Scholz vowed that the country would resume deporting criminals from Afghanistan and Syria after Knife attack by an Afghan immigrant One police officer was killed and four other people injured.

Germany deports Afghan nationals to their homeland on August 30, the first time since August 2021, when the Taliban returned to powerThe government described the 28 Afghan nationals as convicted criminals, but did not specify what crimes they committed.

The Number of people The number of asylum applications in Germany rose to over 350,000 last year, an increase of over 50 percent compared to the previous year. Most asylum seekers came from Syria, followed by Turks and Afghans.