Yahoo TV

STORY: German border police check a busload of tourists crossing in from France.

Germany reintroduced temporary controls on its western and northern borders on Monday (September 16), part of what Berlin says are efforts to control irregular migration and cross-border crime.

Political analysts say they may be aimed at undercutting support for the far right and opposition conservatives ahead of state and federal elections.

In Frankfurt, on the border with Poland, this resident welcomed the checks.

"Here in the border areas we suffer from crime," she says, "so it's very good."

But a small group of protesters also gathered.

This placard reads: "Asylum is a human right."

Germany lies at the heart of Europe, with land borders to nine countries.

So the controls mark a setback to free movement within the European Union - one of its key pillars.

On the border with Luxembourg, few could see the point.

“It has a big impact on commuters and it's not up to date. I doubt if they really catch those people who need to be caught. It is more of a nuisance than a help.”

The new checks have infuriated neighboring states, who fear they'll have to absorb more asylum seekers and also worry about the impact on trade.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has called for urgent consultations with other affected countries.

Checks will now apply at Germany's land borders with France, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Denmark for an initial six months.

They were already in place at crossings with Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria, and Switzerland.

Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said controls introduced last year had blocked more than 30,000 unauthorized entries, and that was why they were being expanded.