On Tuesday 24 February 2026, the Young European Federalists of Luxembourg (Jeunes Européens Fédéralistes - JEF Luxembourg) issued a statement addressing concerns about the continued internal border controls operated by Germany.
In its statement, JEF Luxembourg said the recent announcement that Germany will extend the temporary reintroduction of internal border controls until 15 September 2026 is “deeply concerning” and noted that with the border controls’ original introduction on 16 September 2024, the extension will result in two full years of controls between Luxembourg and its neighbour, as well as Germany’s eight other bordering countries.
JEF Luxembourg remarked that Germany justified this decision by citing “continued serious threats to public security and order” due to “high levels of irregular migration and migrant smuggling.”
JEF Luxembourg highlighted that this development is part of a broader trend, with ten Schengen states having reintroduced internal border controls for renewable six-month periods. In several cases, these controls cover almost all internal land, air and sea borders.
“The Schengen Agreement represents one of the greatest achievements of European integration. Free movement plays an important part in the daily lives of 4 million Europeans. Nowhere is this more evident than in the Greater Region, one of the most integrated cross-border areas in Europe. Hundreds of thousands of individuals cross borders every day to go to work, to study, to see family or simply to live their lives,” said JEF Luxembourg.
It added: “Luxembourg is however not merely a border region. It sits in the heart of the Greater Region. Around 223,000 frontaliers cross the border every day to work in Luxembourg and part of them are Luxembourg nationals who reside across the border. This phenomenon is linked to structural challenges such as unaffordable housing prices, which have pushed workers to settle in neighbouring countries while remaining economically active in Luxembourg.”
The Young European Federalists of Luxembourg said they are “deeply concerned by the continued lack of decisive action from the Luxembourgish government” in response to the measures taken by the German government and said these “amount to a breach of the European Union Treaties and undermine the very foundations of Schengen”.
In relation to Luxembourg’s response to the border controls, JEF Luxembourg highlighted that Luxembourg Minister for Home Affairs Léon Gloden had publicly committed to engage with his German counterpart and find a solution. However, Luxembourg has yet again been included on the listed countries for the most recent extension.
According to JEF Luxembourg, the Luxembourgish government has reportedly called on the European Commission to initiate an infringement proceeding under Article 258 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union but no concrete action or formal response has yet been received from the European Commission.
In response, JEF Luxembourg noted that under Article 259 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, a Member State is allowed to bring another before the Court of Justice of the European Union for failing to fulfil its Treaty obligations. It said: “Luxembourg was the birthplace of Schengen. Luxembourg must be prepared to defend it. We strongly call upon the Luxembourgish government to finally take responsibility, to present a clear and credible strategy, and to initiate proceedings under Article 259 TFEU without further delay. The integrity of Schengen and the credibility of the European legal order demand nothing less. We also recall the role of the Court of Justice of the European Union in ensuring that EU law is interpreted and applied uniformly.”
JEF Luxembourg called on Member States to respect the exceptional character of the reintroduction of internal border controls and to recommit to the full restoration and preservation of the Schengen Area. It concluded: “Free movement is at the heart of the Greater Region. It must not be quietly dismantled.”
