Following a knife attack and the electoral success of a far-right party, Germany’s centre-left government has decided to impose temporary restrictions on land borders to control illegal migration.

The new restrictions, announced by the government on Monday, come just days after the anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) party won elections in Thuringia and came a close second in the neighboring state of Saxony. Those elections took place in the shadow of a knife attack, allegedly carried out by a Syrian asylum seeker, that left three people dead in the western city of Solingen.

Here you can find out more about the latest measures taken by the country – the largest economy in the European Union – and the context of the decision:

What are Germany’s plans?

Interior Minister Nancy Faeser announced on Monday that the controls would begin on September 16 and would initially last for six months with the option of an extension.

Temporary controls will be introduced at the land borders with France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Belgium and Denmark.

These measures complement existing restrictions to control incoming immigrants in Austria, the Czech Republic, Poland and Switzerland – the other four of the nine countries with which Germany shares its more than 3,700-kilometer-long border.

The additional controls at the border with Austria currently apply until November, while the measures for Switzerland, Poland and the Czech Republic are to remain in force until at least December.

Germany has informed the European Commission and its neighbouring countries, all of which are part of the Schengen area, the Europe-wide free movement zone, of its plans to introduce stricter controls.

The rules for the 29 Schengen states state: “The reintroduction of border controls at internal borders may only be used as a last resort and in exceptional situations and must respect the principle of proportionality.”

Faeser said the government had drawn up plans to allow local authorities to directly reject and turn away migrants at the borders. This measure could be controversial and face legal challenges. The interior minister did not provide details.

Under pressure from the extreme right, Chancellor Olaf Scholz gradually toughened his rhetoric against immigrants, promising to deport immigrants accused of serious crimes.

Germany deported 28 Afghan nationals accused of criminal offenses on August 30, marking the first time it has resumed this practice since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021 following the US withdrawal.

What is the reasoning?

Faeser said Germany was exceeding European Union controls and tightening security measures at home to better combat “irregular migration” and what she called “Islamist terrorism and serious crime.”

“We are doing everything we can to better protect the people in our country from this,” she said.

The anti-immigration chorus has grown considerably louder in Germany since the country of 84 million people automatically granted asylum to about a million Ukrainians who fled the Russian invasion in 2022 due to energy and economic problems.

Almost 10 years ago, Germany was celebrated by many as a beacon of empathy because it had taken in over a million refugees, many from Syria. former Chancellor Angela Merkel. But Germany also has economic reasons to encourage immigration: According to experts, the country needs about 1.5 million immigrants every year as the workforce is declining due to an ageing society and stagnating population growth.

What has changed?

The far-right AfD, which draws on a cocktail of economic and cultural grievances amid a cost-of-living crisis, has often accused the government of being soft on immigrants. Its victory in state elections this month was the first by a far-right party in Germany since World War II.

Immigration is also an important issue in the state of Brandenburg. Elections are taking place there in two weeks. Federal elections will take place next year. The center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD) of Scholz and Faeser will fight for a majority in Brandenburg in a test before the federal election.

In 2023, the number of asylum seekers in Germany rose to over 350,000, an increase of just over 50 percent compared to the previous year. Most asylum seekers came from Syria, followed by Turkey and Afghanistan.

ISIL (ISIS) claimed responsibility for the knife attack in Solingen last month. Analysts believe the incident will further fuel xenophobic sentiment against immigrants and Muslims in Germany.

What happens next?

This changed context and especially the upcoming elections could force Germany to impose even greater restrictions on asylum seekers, says Hannes Schammann, head of the migration policy research group at the University of Hildesheim in northern Germany.

“All democratic parties fear the rise of right-wing populism. Therefore, we will see many different approaches to prevent refugees from coming to Germany,” he told Al Jazeera.

The professor of migration policy analysis said the measures could entail “serious legal challenges” and possibly even lead to the abolition of the article of the German constitution that guarantees the right to asylum.

“This could be a turning point for post-Nazi Germany’s self-image as a home of human rights. This will not stop at migration policy,” he said.

According to Schammann, Germany’s neighbouring countries could also respond by closing or restricting their borders. This could lead to a further strengthening of the so-called Fortress Europe – a term that dates back to World War II and describes the continent’s control over its borders and immigration.

Following Berlin’s measures on Monday – which included the announcement that 30,000 people had already been turned away since the introduction of partial border controls in Germany in 2023 – Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner stressed that his country would not accept any migrants turned away by Germany.

“There is no room for maneuver,” he said.

“Europe will try to maintain unity, even if this means violating international conventions,” Schammann said, adding that the greatest migration pressure will be directed at people from the Middle East and North Africa, as immigration numbers are not expected to decline.

“If Germany and thus Europe reject their responsibility in accepting refugees, this will shake confidence in the international order worldwide.”