BERLIN (Reuters) – Germany will introduce temporary border controls as part of increased security for the 2024 European soccer championships, the interior minister said.
The tournament kicks off on June 14 and is expected to draw 2.7 million fans in stadiums and up to 12 million at public viewing events.
“When it comes to the euro, we are consolidating our security services even more strongly and preparing for possible threats,'' the interior minister said. nancy phaser he told the Rhine Post.
“During the Games period, temporary border controls will be implemented at all German borders to prevent the entry of persons with the potential to commit violent acts,” she said.
The comments came in the wake of the mass shooting at a concert venue in Moscow that left at least 139 people dead and 180 injured. Western intelligence agencies linked the attack to the Islamic State group, and France announced it had raised its terror alert to the highest level in response to the attack.
Germany already has temporary restrictions in place at its borders with Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria and Switzerland as part of efforts to combat migrant smuggling rings.
In response to a question about security surrounding the European Championships, an Interior Ministry spokesperson said on Monday that there was a possibility of an extension, but concrete measures had not yet been decided.
(Reporting by Miranda Murray and Rachel More; Editing by Peter Graf)
