Last month the number of illegal entries into Germany fell sharply – from 18,384 in October to 4,353 in November. This is what figures from the federal government show. But border controls are probably not the main reason for this.
The number of unauthorized entries into Germany fell sharply in November compared to the previous month. As can be seen from a response from the federal government to a request from MP Clara Bünger (Left), the federal police detected a total of 4,353 unauthorized entries at the state borders from November 1st to 23rd and ordered 2,299 rejections.
In the month of October, 18,384 unauthorized entries were counted at the German borders – the majority of them in the first half of the month.
A comparison with the months of previous years also makes the low numbers clear: in November 2021, the federal police found 7,543 unauthorized entries at all borders, and in November last year there were 12,538 unauthorized entries.
Countries of origin: Türkiye, Syria, Afghanistan
According to the information, there was a significant decline in the first weeks of November not only at the borders with Poland, the Czech Republic and Switzerland, where there have been permanent border controls since October 16th, but also at the border with Austria. Such inpatient checks were already ordered there in autumn 2015 and have been repeatedly extended since then.
According to preliminary figures from the Federal Police, 921 people who entered the country illegally were found at the German-Austrian border between November 1st and 23rd and 493 people were ordered to be turned back. In the previous month, more than 6,921 people who entered the country illegally were found there.
The most important countries of origin were Turkey, Syria, Afghanistan and Morocco.
Police: border controls not cause of decline
However, the police union (GdP) suspects that the sharp decline in recent weeks can only be attributed to a small extent to the border controls ordered by Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser in mid-October. She sees a certain “domino effect”, meaning that neighboring states and their neighbors have subsequently strengthened their own border protection. Andreas Roßkopf, responsible for federal police and customs at the GdP, notes that Austria and Slovakia have recently intensified their border controls with Hungary.
He also attributes the decline in detected unauthorized entries to a temporary special effect. “According to our findings, rival smuggling organizations had a heated argument. As a result, many migrants were initially not smuggled any further.” However, it is to be expected that the various networks will soon try to find new ways to bring people to Germany in exchange for money.
Union for more deportations
However, the “domino effect” in border controls is certainly desirable, says the Union faction’s domestic policy spokesman, Alexander Throm. He therefore describes the border controls – just like Faeser – as successful. However, the CDU politician also emphasizes: “Border controls are not a panacea.” Germany also needs to do better when it comes to returning rejected asylum seekers. In order to avoid false incentives, foreigners who have already applied for asylum in another EU country should, in his opinion, only receive a transitional allowance in the future “and the travel costs so that they can return to this country.”
Left-wing politician Bünger, on the other hand, is critical of the police presence at the external borders: “Border controls do not prevent people from needing asylum, they only make escape routes even more dangerous,” she said. The fact that those seeking protection now have to resort to other routes in sub-zero temperatures and snow chaos is unacceptable for humanitarian reasons.
Become border controls extended?
Border controls are not actually planned within the Schengen area and must be reported to Brussels. If it is a short period of time, this can be done with a short notice. However, this option ends after two months, in the case of Germany on December 15th. However, observers expect – not least because Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced this in the Bundestag – that Faeser will maintain the controls at least at the borders with Poland and the Czech Republic in the long term and will inform the EU Commission about this soon.
Bünger – like several members of the Green Party – is calling for a change. The fact that stationary controls on the German-Austrian border have now become a permanent situation violates EU law and must be ended – instead of extending this practice to other sections of the border.