authorities are apprehensive about potential strain on border security checks.
Starting from next Monday, the German borders will be under the supervision of the Federal Police, a move that has raised eyebrows among some law enforcement officers. This shocking announcement was met with criticism by Gewerkschaftschef Roßkopf, who is worried about an increased likelihood of police officers leaving their posts.
According to Roßkopf, the Federal Police is still gathering resources until Monday morning. He noted that the plan is not yet thoroughly thought out and is partly due to the sudden announcement by the Interior Minister.
Roßkopf also expressed concern about the possibility of long-term overload. With the border controls expected to last for at least six months, if not longer, he fears that the current high resignation rate among younger officers might escalate further.
On the other hand, SPD-Fraktionschef Mützenich advocates for an expansion of the Federal Police workforce. When asked if the Federal Police needs better resources to handle the border controls, Mützenich suggested that it's crucial. He mentioned that in addition to the planned billion for security agencies, an additional 1000 positions will be created within the Federal Police.
However, Mützenich acknowledges that this may not be sufficient for the border control measures enacted by the federal government. He suggested that the topic would need to be discussed during the parliamentary budget negotiations. Given the limited room for maneuver provided by the Finance Minister, this task will not be easy.
Mützenich: Expanding Powers for Intelligence Services
Mützenich also proposed that the intelligence services should be granted more powers in light of the investigation into the suspected Islamist knife attack in Solingen by an asylum seeker who should have been deported. He emphasized that while creating absolute security to protect people from such attacks is impossible, we must do everything possible to prevent extremists and criminals from entering the country and to identify potential threats beforehand.
To achieve this, Mützenich suggested that the powers of the intelligence services should be expanded. He pointed out the need to understand why other intelligence services have more insights and achieve better investigative results than Germany. He proposed addressing this issue more specifically with the federal states.
Federal Interior Minister Faeser, however, defended the border controls. She declared that the measures are effective and that they are being strengthened further to deter irregular migration. Since the controls began in October 2023, more than 30,000 individuals have been turned away at the German borders, leading to a more than 20 percent decrease in asylum applications compared to the previous year.
The police union has voiced concerns about the implications of the border control expansion on the Federal Police, with Gewerkschaftschef Roßkopf expressing worry about an increased officer turnover. SPD-Fraktionschef Mützenich, meanwhile, supports the expansion of the Federal Police workforce and suggested additional resources and positions be allocated.
