Grenzpolitik

Grenzpolitik, or border policy, is a term used to describe a state's policies and practices governing its borders. It encompasses laws and procedures for entry and exit, asylum and refugee handling, deportation and returns, as well as customs enforcement. It also includes physical border measures such as controls, fencing, surveillance, and patrols, along with cross-border cooperation and international agreements that shape how borders are managed at national or regional levels.

Historically, the term is often associated with the border regime of the German Democratic Republic (DDR) during the Cold War. The DDR maintained fortified frontiers and strict controls to prevent emigration to the West, notably through the inner German border and the Berlin Wall, supported by the regime’s so-called Schießbefehl in some periods. Following German reunification in 1990, border management aligned more closely with European Union norms, including the integration of external border controls and cooperation with EU institutions.

In contemporary usage, Grenzpolitik covers a range of objectives, including national security, migration management, and customs enforcement, as well as mechanisms for border cooperation with neighboring states. Within the European Union, border policy intersects with the Schengen Area framework, Frontex operations, and the Common European Asylum System, as well as bilateral and regional agreements. Debates surrounding Grenzpolitik often focus on balancing sovereignty and security with humanitarian obligations, the treatment of asylum seekers and migrants, and the social and economic impacts on border regions. See also border control, immigration policy, Schengen Agreement, Frontex, Dublin Regulation.