More than 53,000 unauthorized entries registered

In the first nine months of this year, the Federal Police registered 53,410 unauthorized entries at German land borders. 28,321 people were turned back at land borders nationwide, as reported by the newspaper "Bild am Sonntag". The figures were confirmed to the German Press Agency by the Federal Police.

The federal police arrested 1,195 people smugglers and registered 1,088 smuggling operations. The agency pointed out that checks at airports and seaports are not included and that the number at land borders may still change, for example due to subsequent registrations.

From January to September inclusive, officers apprehended a total of 7,783 people for whom outstanding arrest warrants were executed. The previously committed offenses include unpaid fines, serious crimes and unenforced detention. In some cases, there were also international wanted warrants.

Almost 1,500 deportees tried to re-enter the country despite being barred

According to Bild am Sonntag, the highest numbers of deportees were turned back at the borders with Switzerland (9,113 people), Poland (7,862), Austria (5,468) and France (2,350). Ukrainians (5,935 people), Syrians (4,708) and Afghans (2,396) were turned away the most. Officials identified 1,482 deported migrants who wanted to re-enter the country despite being blocked.

The police refer to unauthorized entry when a foreigner wants to cross the border without a valid residence permit. Refoulement is primarily possible if someone does not apply for asylum or if the person concerned is subject to a temporary ban on re-entry. This is the case, for example, if someone has previously been deported or for people who come from so-called safe countries of origin if their asylum application has previously been rejected as "manifestly unfounded".

Border controls at all land borders since mid-September

Border controls are not actually planned in the Schengen area. Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) justified the order for stationary controls at all land borders from mid-September with irregular migration as well as protection against Islamist terrorists and cross-border crime. The borders with Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg were affected by the expansion. Checks had already been carried out at the border with France due to the Olympic Games in Paris.

Controls have been in place at the borders with Poland, the Czech Republic and Switzerland since mid-October last year, and were introduced at the German-Austrian land border in the fall of 2015. During the European Football Championship in Germany in the summer, checks were already carried out at all German land borders for a time.

Stationary border controls are a prerequisite for refoulement, as this measure is only possible directly at the border. It is also possible to return asylum seekers for whom another EU country is responsible for the procedure in the area close to the border, but the requirements and effort involved are much more extensive.

The Federal Police plan to publish an assessment of the overall figures and the impact of border controls on November 1.