Fewer unauthorized entries from Switzerland in October
Although the number of refugees entering Germany from Switzerland without authorization will be significantly higher this year than last year, the upward trend was interrupted for the time being in October. From January to the end of October, there were a total of 14,622 unauthorized entries, as reported by the Federal Police in Stuttgart on Monday.
In the whole of last year, there were almost 10,500 unauthorized refugees. The Federal Police had already reported figures for the whole of Germany, but not in detail for the Swiss land border. According to the report, there were around 2,500 unauthorized entries there in October after just under 2,750 in the previous month.
Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) had initially announced stationary border controls at the borders with Poland, the Czech Republic and Switzerland for ten days on October 16 and then extended them several times. She justified this step with the fight against irregular immigration and people smuggling.
Baden-Württemberg's Interior Minister Thomas Strobl (CDU) commented on the latest development when asked: "The high level of immigration to Germany has pushed our cities, municipalities and districts to their limits - the capacity to take in refugees has reached its limits." Every possible means of controlling and limiting migration must therefore be used, he said. The state police had already increased the pressure in the area close to the Swiss border months ago.
Despite the increase in refugee migration from Switzerland this year, the number of unauthorized entries decreased in October. This downturn in unauthorized refugee migration could be attributed to the tightened border controls implemented by the German authorities.
Source: www.dpa.com
