- L'Allemagne et la France unissent leurs forces pour lutter contre les éléments illégaux
Depuis plus de deux décennies et demi, les forces de l'ordre allemande et française luttent contre le crime à leur frontière commune. Les agents de différentes polices et de la douane partagent données et renseignements 24/7 dans un bureau sans prétention à Kehl avec leurs homologues français.
Maxime Fischer, le responsable allemand du centre d'opérations conjoint, appelé le Centre Conjoint, a déclaré : "L'Allemagne a pris les devants." Il n'y avait pas de tel centre en Europe avant. Aujourd'hui, il existe environ 60 installations similaires. "C'est un projet très européen et pratique", a ajouté Fischer. Alain Winter, son homologue français, a ajouté : "Notre objectif est que la frontière s'estompe dans notre travail."
Le centre a été établi le 10 mars 1999 à Offenburg, en Allemagne, et a été transféré à Kehl en 2002, offrant une vue spectaculaire sur la cathédrale de Strasbourg de l'autre côté du Rhin. Thomas Strobl (CDU), ministre de l'Intérieur de Bade-Wurtemberg, a déclaré : "Le crime ne s'arrête pas aux contrôles frontaliers."
Alors, que se passe-t-il à Kehl ?
Le centre sert principalement de hub de communication, avec environ 60 employés des deux pays agissant comme liaisons pour les agences de sécurité, mais pas pour les civils. Ils n'effectuent pas de contrôles physiques, par exemple sur le pont européen reliant Kehl et Strasbourg, en France.
"Nous nous occupons principalement de petits et moyens crimes", a résumé Fischer. "Les enquêtes et les perquisitions qui affectent la zone frontalière font partie de nos tâches. Nous sommes également activement impliqués dans les incidents de sécurité importants."
During the 2024 Paris Olympics, the center coordinated security deployments with neighboring countries, with 52 police officers from southwestern Germany supporting their French counterparts.
The stolen caravan case
The employees handle a wide range of cases. If a caravan equipped with GPS tracking is stolen on the German side of the Rhine, the issue typically begins with a call to the local German police, which then often reaches the Kehl switchboard. "The German colleague then passes the information to the French colleague to initiate a search in France," explained Fischer. "The vehicles can often be located using GPS tracking, often on the highway."
The French police officer, Winter, shared a more complex case involving a kidnapping on the French side: "A child was abducted from school by the father, who drove towards Denmark. There was constant communication between the services in France and Germany. We only had the car's license plate number. The man was eventually apprehended at a motorway service station."
The outdated police treaty
In 2021, more than 21,000 requests were made to the German-French service. "Requests even come from Martinique if there are issues with Germans there," noted Winter, referring to the French Caribbean island. Most requests from his homeland no longer come from border departments but from the whole country, including overseas territories.
Negotiations are underway between the interior ministries of both nations to revise the 1997 Mondorf Agreement on police-customs cooperation. The current police treaty is outdated. "Berlin and Paris have realized that we work not just at the border but across the entire country," concluded Winter. However, the exact timeline for when a new treaty will be finalized has yet to be determined.
Language should not be an issue
Language should not be a problem in Kehl - the employees receive appropriate training. "Between Paris and Berlin, English is often the language of choice," said Winter. "Here in Kehl, we prioritize speaking French and German."
Despite having separate German and French sections in the control center, staff often adopt a more collaborative attitude. "Everyone does everything," is the prevailing motto.
For instance, during off-hours, a request from the German national police may be processed by a state official or a customs agent, who would then forward it to a French gendarme. The French gendarmerie is part of the armed forces and performs police duties. According to Fischer, the center has a mediating role that extends beyond routine operations. "Can you provide us with information?" - questions like this from Germany could arise in the event of attacks and unrest in France.
