- Decrease in irregular entries in the first half of the year
The number of unauthorized entries of migrants into Germany has slightly decreased in the first half of the year. The Federal Police counted 42,307 people who entered Germany illegally in the first six months of this year. From January to June 2023, there were 45,338 unauthorized entries. This means that the number decreased by almost seven percent compared to the previous year. However, the six-month figures are only partially indicative, as the overall annual trend is missing.
Notably, the number of unauthorized entries has significantly decreased compared to the previous months, from September 2023 to February 2024. In September of last year, the Federal Police counted 21,375 people who entered illegally, followed by 20,073 in October, 7,497 in December, and in February, the number fell below 6,000. Since then, the number of unauthorized entries has been slightly higher, ranging from around 7,100 in March to almost 7,700 in June.
Fixed controls at the borders with Poland, Czech Republic, and Switzerland
Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser (SPD) ordered fixed controls at the land borders with Poland, Czech Republic, and Switzerland in mid-October last year and has since extended them several times. Initially, she had been skeptical about the demands from several federal states for fixed controls at these border sections.
The stationary controls will continue there for now: Faeser reported to the EU Commission in May that fixed controls at these borders have been extended until June 15. Her goal is to combat smuggling crime and limit irregular migration.
Fixed border controls are controversial
The chairman of the Interior Ministers' Conference, Brandenburg's Interior Minister Michael Stübgen, still considers fixed border controls necessary until the EU asylum reform takes effect, which he estimates will be no earlier than 2026. The police union for the Federal Police considers surveillance along the border more effective than fixed controls.
Migrants seeking entry into Germany have experienced a decrease in unauthorized entries, with the number dropping significantly from September 2023 to February 2024. Static border controls have been implemented to combat smuggling crime and limit irregular migration, with Faeser, the Federal Minister of the Interior, extending these controls at the land borders with Poland, the Czech Republic, and Switzerland until June 15.
