Nearly two weeks ago, Germany introduced border controls on its land borders. Random checks are carried out on each of them.
How many illegal entries into the country have been prevented?
At the moment, accurate data is only available for the first week, writes the German public television ARD. According to them, a total of 898 unauthorized entries were registered at all of Germany's land borders, with 540 people being turned back, the Federal Police confirmed. In addition, 114 arrest warrants were executed.
The introduced border control on the western borders is not particularly effective, or at least that is what the data of the federal police show, which registered only 182 unauthorized entries at the border points with the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and France, writes "De Welt". At the same time, however, drugs were found, as well as violations of the rules for carrying weapons.
One of the indicators of how successful the new policies are is the asylum applications, which are already submitted upon crossing the border. They have not decreased. In the first four days since the new checks were introduced, 3,626 were submitted, compared to 3,581 the previous week.
Are these numbers indicative? "They change seriously and depend on many factors," explained a spokesperson of the Federal Migration Service to ARD. And they can be seriously affected if, for example, large groups are currently traveling or if the route from Belarus through Poland is easier to pass. Germany's borders span 3,900 kilometers and a much longer period of time is needed to draw any conclusions. In addition, it should be noted that asylum applications are submitted up to four weeks after entering the country.
For the final assessment of how successful the return of border control is, the ratio between the efforts put in and the benefits gained also plays a role, writes ARD.
How many policemen are stationed at the border?
The Federal Ministry of the Interior does not give exact information on the number of officers who are posted to the border for "tactical reasons", i.e. so as not to supply the smugglers with this information. In any case, the border police cannot carry out all checks by themselves. The police union has called the situation "intolerable" as it says more than 1,000 officers, who are normally sent to emergency situations at stations, airports and major events, are now at the border. This means there are shortages elsewhere.
Students in the police academies are also sent to the borders. But they shouldn't stay there long, warns Andreas Roskopf of the police union, because they could miss an important part of their training. "It is unacceptable if there are deficits in their shooting skills, their police training and their criminological knowledge."
Are all passers-by screened?
Employees control rather randomly. It is extremely clear that full inspections along the entire green border, including in the forest areas, cannot be carried out due to the lack of employees. "Of course, we have many areas that are relatively unobserved," Roskopf says. Known checkpoints are also known to be bypassed by traffickers.
In addition, not all vehicles are stopped for inspection. The Federal Ministry of the Interior explains that it is relying on the experience it has already gathered. And this means that vans, for example, are always checked, because according to crime statistics, they are a preferred means of transport for transporting illegal migrants.
Can Germany repel migrants?
Federal police officers are currently able to bring back people who are banned from entering Germany - for example, those who have been deported. At the same time, if someone wants to apply for asylum, he has the right to do so on the territory of the Federal Republic.
However, the opposition in the form of the Christian Democrats insists that the asylum seekers be returned. According to the CDU/CSU, they can also apply for asylum in the country from which they want to enter Germany - for example, Poland.
Checks continue until March 2025
For the time being, the fears of merchants and suppliers that the checks will delay crossing the border are not confirmed. The Federal Police reported that the worst traffic jams lasted between 20 and 25 minutes. When a queue is formed, the borders are opened.
However, there are fears that the situation could worsen: "We hope that the controls will not take longer or that other countries will follow suit," says Johan Fetter of the industrialists' organization in Baden. This would be "fatal for the free movement of goods and people". If controls are tightened, it will be necessary to introduce fast lanes for passengers and trucks, as was the case during the coronavirus pandemic.
For now, border control will continue until March 2025. The interior ministry announced that a decision will be made in February on whether they will be extended, with the issue likely to be debated in the Bundestag.
Tina Handel (ARD)