Fewer unauthorized entries to Germany

The number of unauthorized entries into Germany fell sharply in November compared to the previous month. According to an answer from the Federal Government to a question from MP Clara Bünger (Left Party), the Federal Police apprehended a total of 4,353 foreigners entering Germany without authorization at the land borders between 1 and 23 November and ordered 2299 deportations. In October, 18,384 unauthorized entries were counted at Germany's land borders - the majority of which occurred in the first half of the month.

A significant decrease was reported in the first weeks of November not only at the borders with Poland, the Czech Republic and Switzerland, where fixed border controls have been in place since 16 October, but also at the border with Austria. Such stationary controls had already been ordered there in the fall of 2015 and have been repeatedly extended since then. According to preliminary figures from the Federal Police, 921 people who entered the country without authorization were detected at the German-Austrian land border between 1 and 23 November and 493 refoulement orders were issued. In October, more than 6921 illegal immigrants were found there.

However, the police union (GdP) suspects that the sharp decline in recent weeks is only to a small extent due to the border controls ordered by Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) in mid-October.

"Border controls do not prevent people from needing asylum, they only make the escape routes even more dangerous," said Bünger. The fact that people seeking protection now have to take other routes in sub-zero temperatures and snow chaos is unacceptable for humanitarian reasons alone.