Illegal entries halved with border controls in Saxony

At the Saxon border crossings to Poland and the Czech Republic, unauthorized entries have been declining since the introduction of stationary border controls in October 2023. From the beginning of January to the end of July, the federal police apprehended 6,800 people. In the same period last year, there were almost 13,500, around twice as many people. Around 3,000 people have been turned back so far this year, said a spokesperson for the Pirna Federal Police Headquarters. According to the statistics, a total of 32,468 people entered Germany without permission in 2023.

Nothing will change at Saxony's borders with Poland and the Czech Republic

A directive from Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser (SPD) has been in force since the morning, according to which there are to be stationary controls at all land borders in order to curb illegal migration. However, this only applies to France, Denmark, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg - such controls are already in place at the borders with the Czech Republic, Poland, Austria and Switzerland. The new order therefore has no impact on the border crossings in Saxony, said the Federal Police spokesperson.

The checks will initially last for six months in order to curb the number of unauthorized entries more effectively. Commuter and travel traffic should be affected as little as possible - the checks are random and not all vehicles will be stopped.