Border checkpoint

A border control is the control of border traffic, ie the control of people arriving and departing.

On border control police forces, partly soldiers of one or both countries concerned act. Keep people at the respective borders and check their documents ( authenticity and matching with the search stock). Furthermore, carry-on items such as vehicles, cargo controls, and the like.

The main purpose of border control is to prevent the illegal entry into a country. A legal entry is only by holders of their respective citizenship, visa holders or citizens of states that do not require a visa for entry under international agreements and diplomats on mission possible. There are also cases to prevent illegal emigration. This was common in Europe until the fall of the Iron Curtain. In addition, as part of the exit checks sought on arrest warrants persons are arrested.

At some state borders, endorsement in the travel documents is entered. Depending on the bilateral relations of the two neighboring countries, border controls are carried out jointly or separately by the institutions of both countries.

Part of border control is also a customs inspection in the rule.

Germany

In Germany, the control of cross -border traffic is 71, paragraph 3 of the Residence principle be carried out by the Federal Police within the meaning of §. Water Police Hamburg is responsible for the port of Hamburg, the seaports of Bremen and Bremerhaven Bremen went through a unilateral termination of a management agreement between the federal government and Bremen in the jurisdiction of the Federal Police. On the border of Germany, Austria and Germany Czech Republic, on the Bavarian side, is also, since 2008, the Federal Police responsible for the control of cross -border traffic. The Federal Customs Administration can only pursuant to § 66 BPolG as part of the staff association at border crossing points or in the transmission task by ordinance pursuant to § 68 BPolG act either. In this case, however, the actions of the respective federal police authority and not the customs administration are attributed.

At the EU - German borders (France, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Austria, Poland, Czech Republic), there are basically due to the Schengen Agreement, no more border controls. Denmark planned in May 2011 again permanent customs controls at the border include, among others, earning by the European Commission criticism. In October, but these were abolished by the new Social Democratic government at its first working day in October 2011. However, so-called position- picture-independent sample checks are carried out, which are legitimized by the Federal Police Act. Here, the Federal Police may take up to a depth of 30 kilometers, stop and check into the inner country people. Only under certain conditions is possible resumption of full controls. Since the Switzerland joined the agreement, were also there, the border away since December 2008. However, this does not affect the customs control of the border with the Swiss Confederation, which will continue to be conducted by the Federal Customs Administration.

Austria

Until 1 May 2004, the date of EU enlargement, was the border control by the customs guard together with the federal police, in an area where federal police and the Federal Security Guard Corps and the detective corps performed. The customs guard led it through the control of imports and exports of goods and subordinate to the Ministry of Finance. For the people control the gendarmerie and police were basically responsible.

From 1968 (even before there were already passport checks through customs, but without explicit legal basis ) until the mid- 1990s, the control of persons with the exception of individual airports, ports and railway border crossings, however, was transferred by order of the customs guard, inspection by the police or police was thus the exception rather than the rule. After this transfer was withdrawn continuously, so that only on the border with Switzerland and Liechtenstein, Innsbruck Airport, partially in general aviation as well as smaller road border crossings by customs passports were checked. At a few small road border crossings, customs control of the gendarmerie was transferred, then there were border crossings, where the Gendarmerie customs controls in non-commercial traffic, took over during the commercial traffic was controlled by both wax body.

The physical check is carried out on 1 May 2004 by the Gendarmerie ( EU external border with Vorarlberg in non-commercial traffic ) or by customs officials ( EU external border to Tyrol, airports and commercial traffic). A persons scrutiny by customs officials is no longer carried out since that time, it was for only the police or gendarmerie responsible. When the federal police was abandoned, took over the function of the police at the borders generally the police.

Since all neighboring countries also belong to the Schengen area, will only be carried out at airports or airfields for flights from non- Schengen countries regular passport checks. At the borders to Switzerland and Liechtenstein, there are still - though not at every border crossing at any time day or night - Customs inspections, as the two countries are indeed Schengen countries but not EU members. Similarly, customs checks take place at airports. Due to the fact that the checked baggage will be checked and the transit passengers who have given up on EU internal flights Baggage outside the EU, others can not be separated, all travelers must pass through customs control in principle.

Since there is no police presence is required at the border crossings to Switzerland and Liechtenstein, is effected continuously a return takeover of the goods transport checks through customs. From 2014, the physical checks to be carried out exclusively by customs officers then to all EU external border crossing points.

See also: Austrian border crossings into neighboring countries