Germany's internal border checks were supposed to be temporary.Introduced in 2015 as an emergency response, they've now become a familiar part of daily life across much of Europe.Reporter Sam Baker travels to Germany's borders with France and the Netherlands, where commuters sit in traffic, businesses absorb mounting costs, and local leaders question whether the checkpoints make anyone safer. Along the way, she meets journalist Sandra Alloush, whose experience at one of these border checks changed the way she moves through Europe, and explores why a policy that many acknowledge has significant limits continues to expand.The story raises a larger question: What happens when democracies begin governing through permanent emergencies? And what does it mean when extraordinary powers become ordinary?Guests:Wolfram Britz, Mayor of Kehl, GermanyMaartje van der Woude, Professor of Law and Society at Leiden UniversitySandra Alloush, journalist, filmmaker, and advocate for refugee rightsLucien van Ryswijk, Mayor of ZevenaarRaquel Garcia Hermida van der Walle, Member of the European ParliamentAdditional Resources: History of Schengen, European CommissionRacial Profiling Practices at EU Internal Borders, European Network Against Racism (ENAR) and the Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants (PICUM)