Federal Investigative Agency: Suspected of secretly transporting nearly 40,000 migrants in 2023
As per the BKA's report, the primary countries from which refugees originated were Syria with 54,207, Turkey (35,732), and Afghanistan (35,370). It was noted that many refugees had utilized smugglers for their unauthorized entry into Germany. Even if a small fraction of the migrants claimed the assistance of smugglers during their last leg of the journey, it's highly unlikely that they reached their destination without using smugglers along various stages of their escape routes.
Investigators reported a decrease in smuggling activities via the Mediterranean, yet an increase via the Balkans. Despite the decrease in migration movements on the West Balkan route, the majority of those apprehended at Germany's southeastern border had previously traveled through the Balkan region, according to the report.
A significant portion (41.9%) of the refugees were detected entering Germany via Poland, followed by about a third (29.4%) from Austria, and about one fifth (22.5%) from the Czech Republic.
Refugees were predominantly transported on foot (37.1%), in small vans (25.6%), or in cars (24.3%). However, many individuals encountered on foot had likely been transported close to the border in cars or small vans prior to their detection, the BKA declared.
The number of suspected individuals in smuggling-related criminal investigations experienced a 26.6% surge in 2023, while the total number of cases increased by a staggering 60.5%. This suggests a rise in large groups of smuggled refugees.
The Commission expressed concern over the surge in smuggling-related crimes, leading to a significant increase in investigations. The Commission also recommended strengthening cooperation with border control agencies to combat this issue effectively.
