Bavaria’s Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann (CSU) presents the border police’s half-yearly report and declares war on illegal migration.
Munich – “Illegal migration, inhumane smuggling gangs and international criminal gangs”: the Bavarian border police are currently very busy, reports Joachim Herrmann – albeit a little less than last year. 34,478 cases (previous year: 36,710) were processed from January to August inclusive, according to Bavaria’s Interior Minister from the CSU.
During covert searches, temporary border controls with Austria and the Czech Republic, and at Nuremberg and Memmingen airports, border investigators hit the bull’s eye 12,575 times (previous year: 14,973) – for example because there was an arrest warrant (739 people). 615 weapons and explosives offenses were uncovered (comparative period 2023: 645), as well as 956 document offenses (921) such as passport forgeries. In the area of drug-related crime, border investigators identified 1,609 cases. According to Herrmann, the fact that there were significantly more at this time last year (2,701) is probably mainly due to the legalization of cannabis in Germany.
Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann announces expansion of border police – results show decline in incidents
The Bavarian border police, together with the federal police, secure around 1,000 kilometers of border along the Free State. When Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) set it up in 2018, it was highly controversial. The Greens filed a lawsuit against the establishment. Both sides celebrated the Constitutional Court’s ruling as a success. The judges found that the border police did in fact violate the constitution in some parts. However, they did not object to its general introduction. They are still allowed to carry out undercover searches and – as part of administrative assistance for the federal police – also carry out checks.
Herrmann announced on Thursday that he would like to keep an even closer eye on Bavaria’s borders in the future. “In order to noticeably increase the level of control, we will be strengthening the Bavarian border police by a further 500 positions by 2028, bringing the total to 1,500,” said the Interior Minister. At the same time, the police are relying on very close cooperation with the Federal Police.
Figures show: Illegal migration has decreased – human trafficking has also decreased
The border police are also doing an important job in curbing illegal migration, said Herrmann. 888 illegal entries from Austria have already been detected this year (previous year: 1,281), 499 from the Czech Republic (483). In addition, Bavarian border police have arrested 104 people smugglers. In 2023, the number was 160 at the same time.
There has also been a slight decline in human trafficking crimes nationwide, Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser (SPD) announced on Thursday. The security authorities have increased the pressure on investigations enormously. In addition, harsher penalties are now possible. Border controls and greater cooperation with neighboring countries have also increased the pressure, Faeser noted.
Refugees at the German border come from safe third countries.
“Must be implemented as quickly as possible”: Herrmann calls for tougher measures at the border
But the decline does not mean a reversal of the trend, Herrmann counters. “The package of measures announced by the federal government after the terrible attack in Solingen to curb illegal migration must not only be implemented as quickly as possible, but must also be significantly expanded,” said the Bavarian minister. He called on the federal government to “finally instruct the federal police to turn people back at the internal borders even if they request asylum.”
Because, says Herrmann: “Refugees at Germany’s land borders come without exception from safe third countries.”
Herrmann received sup
port from Bavaria’s Justice Minister Georg Eisenreich (CSU), who stated: “The number of people smuggling crimes has been at a high level for years.” The perpetrators were also “becoming increasingly ruthless towards the people being smuggled, bystanders and our police forces.” Eisenreich cited an incident from October as an example, when seven people in an overcrowded minibus died in an accident on the A94 in the Mühldorf am Inn district – including a child.
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