During the Easter weekend, there was a lack of clarity about what the rules actually are at the German-Dutch border. What is actually still allowed when it comes to travelling from the Netherlands to Germany and vice versa? Both the government in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the Netherlands have communicated recommendations not to enter the country on Easter. Dear tourists: stay away! That sounded like good advice. Or was it a ban? Because that makes quite a difference. But it was not clear from the two governments’ communications exactly which of the two, advice or ban, was meant.
The weekend’s newspaper reports are also somewhat confusing in this respect. There is talk of Dutch Marechaussee at the border sending back German drivers because they just wanted to go shopping. That is not really in line with the rules, as the Netherlands has not yet issued an entry ban where you would not be allowed to enter the country without a good reason. Or has it?
Netherlands: no entry ban, Germany: entry ban
There were bans on certain areas, for example the Heuvelland between Aachen and Maastricht. But there is no general ban on travel to NL. And in NRW? Strange that Prime Minister Laschet proudly announced that he had ensured that the border remained open, which in fact it is not. Since the Federal Government’s decision of 6 April, entry into Germany without a valid reason is no longer allowed. At least, that applies to people without residence in Germany. Incidentally, that means it is basically the same situation as entering Belgium.
There is a general ban on entry in NRW and exceptions are made only for special groups such as border commuters and truck drivers. This excludes the possibility of Dutch nationals coming to refuel, walk or shop. This is not a recommendation, but a prohibition. However, this has not been properly communicated. Perhaps Ministerpräsident Laschet , when he said the border remains up, meant that goods traffic and border workers are not affected. There is actually only one difference with the Belgian situation: on the border with NRW, there are no official controls. Or rather, there are no direct checks at the border, but random checks in the border area. This does not necessarily contribute to clarity either.
Quarantine rules also unclear
And who should be quarantined? In the coming days, the subject of quarantine is likely to raise many questions. The new regulation in NRW (dated 9 April) states that people who have been abroad for more than 72 hours and then enter Germany must go straight to their own home or other accommodation and stay there for 14 days. They must report to the health office in their district or city. This is the general rule. What will now lead to many questions are the exceptions: border commuters, business travellers, service technicians, truck drivers, diplomats, travellers on their way to another EU country, etc. This will leave many groups of people with questions. Another reason for clear communication from the government.
By Martin Unfried, researcher at the Institute for Transnational and Euregional cross border cooperation and Mobility / ITEM