Germany to introduce some border checks during G7 summit

BERLIN – Germany will temporarily introduce some border controls as the country gets ready to host the Group of Seven summit later this month in the Bavarian Alps.

The summit of wealthy nations with the leaders of Germany, the United States, France, Japan and other top industrial countries will take place from June 26-28 in Elmau, and Germany has ordered increased security on its border from June 13-July 3, the country's interior ministry said in a statement Saturday.

“The controls are intended to prevent potential perpetrators of violence from entering German territory, the statement said, adding that ”travelers must therefore expect to be subject to checks during this period."

The interior ministry did not further elaborate what kind of violent threats it might be expecting, but several protests against the summit are planned in the nearby town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen and in Bavaria's capital, Munich, during the leaders' meeting.

The temporary border controls will be “flexible in terms of location and time” and carried out “at the German land, air and maritime internal borders” that usually fall under the European Union's Schengen treaty allowing for free travel.