Germany updates: Police say extra border checks unustainable
The German Police Union (GdP) is warning that intensified border checks and asylum rejections cannot go on much longer amid staff shortages and suspended training.
GdP chief Andreas Rosskopf said the measures rely on adjusted rosters, canceled leave, and paused training.
Over 1,000 riot police are currently deployed at the borders after Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt recently tightened controls, with turnbacks up by nearly a half.
Meanwhile, an Iraqi couple are on trial in Germany accused of enslaving and abusing two Yazidi girls.
Here's a roundup of top news stories from Germany on Monday, May 19.
An Iraqi man and his wife, both accused of being so-called "Islamic State" (IS) militant group members and enslaving two Yazidi girls, are set to appear in court in Germany.
The 43-year-old man and 29-year-old woman face charges at the Munich Higher Regional Court, including genocide, human trafficking, and crimes against humanity.
Prosecutors say that in 2015, the man bought a 5-year-old Yazidi girl as a dowry for his wife, at her request. The child was allegedly held captive by the couple in Iraq and Syria for over two years, during which she was subjected to forced labour, sexual abuse, humiliation, and torture.
In October 2017, the couple allegedly bought a second Yazidi girl, aged 12, who endured similar abuse.
Both girls were later transferred to other IS members in November 2017. While the older girl was eventually freed after a ransom was paid, the fate of the younger child remains unknown.
The couple were arrested in Bavaria in April 2024 and have been in custody since.
IS aimed to establish a theocratic state under Sharia law during the conflicts in Syria and Iraq.
German prosecutors argue the couple's actions were part of IS's systematic rape of Yazidi women and girls — a strategy designed to dismantle the group's continuity and identity. Germany has emerged as a key prosecutor of IS war crimes that took place in Iraq and Syria under the principle of universal jurisdiction.
Germany's intensified border checks and the rejection of asylum seekers cannot continue for much longer, the country's police union has warned.
Andreas Rosskopf cited a lack of personnel and the suspension of training programs as the main reasons.
Rosskopf, chairman of the German Police Union (GdP) police union, told the Funke Media Group in comments published Monday that the current measures were only sustainable because duty rosters had been adjusted, training sessions paused, and officers' overtime leave canceled.
"The police can only keep up these intensive checks for a few more weeks," Rosskopf said, noting that more than 1,000 riot police officers had been deployed in border areas for several days.
Shortly after taking office earlier this month, Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt ordered stricter border controls, allowing authorities to turn back migrants even if they seek asylum.
According to Dobrindt, the number of people turned away has increased by nearly 50% since the changes were introduced.
Rosskopf said the union supports the government's efforts to reduce irregular migration through enhanced checks by the federal police.
Guten Tag and welcome to our coverage of developments in Germany on Monday, May 19, 2025.
Germany's enhanced border checks cannot go on for much longer, the country's major police union has warned.
GdP police union chief Andreas Rosskopf says the measures are currently relying on temporary fixes, such as canceled leave and suspended training.
Germany's new Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt recently tightened controls as part of the new conservative-led coalition agreement to cut irregular migration.
This blog will provide you the latest news, analysis, multimedia content and DW on-the-ground reporting in regards to events in Germany. Stay tuned for more!
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Washington Post
35 minutes ago
- Washington Post
Britain is getting a defense boost aimed at sending a message to Moscow, and to Trump
LONDON — The United Kingdom will build new nuclear-powered attack submarines and create an army ready to fight a war in Europe as part of a boost to military spending designed to send a message to Moscow — and Washington. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Britain 'cannot ignore the threat that Russia poses' as he pledged to undertake the most sweeping changes to Britain's defenses since the end of the Cold War more than three decades ago.
Associated Press
37 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Britain is getting a defense boost aimed at sending a message to Moscow, and to Trump
LONDON (AP) — The United Kingdom will build new nuclear-powered attack submarines and create an army ready to fight a war in Europe as part of a boost to military spending designed to send a message to Moscow — and Washington. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Britain 'cannot ignore the threat that Russia poses' as he pledged to undertake the most sweeping changes to Britain's defenses since the end of the Cold War more than three decades ago. 'We have to recognize the world has changed,' Starmer told the BBC. 'With greater instability than there has been for many, many years, and greater threats.' What's happening on Monday? The government is to respond to a strategic defense review commissioned by Starmer and led by George Robertson, a former U.K. defense secretary and NATO secretary general. It's the first such review since 2021, and lands in a world transformed by Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and by the re-election of President Donald Trump last year. The government says it will accept all 62 recommendations made in the review, aiming to help the U.K. confront growing threats on land, air sea and in cyberspace. Defense Secretary John Healey said the changes would send 'a message to Moscow, and transform the country's military following decades of retrenchment, though he said he does not expect the number of soldiers — currently at a historic low — to rise until the early 2030s. Healey said plans for defense spending to hit 2.5% of national income by 2027 a year are 'on track' and that there's 'no doubt' it will hit 3% before 2034. Starmer said the 3% goal is an 'ambition,' rather than a firm promise, and it's unclear where the cash-strapped Treasury will find the money. The government has already, contentiously, cut international aid spending to reach the 2.5% target. Starmer said he wouldn't make a firm pledge until he knew 'precisely where the money is coming from.' Deterring Russia Even 3% falls short of what some leaders in NATO think is needed to deter Russia from future attacks on its neighbors. NATO chief Mark Rutte says leaders of the 32 member countries will debate a commitment to spend at least 3.5% of GDP on defense when they meet in the Netherlads this month. Monday's announcements include building 'up to 12' nuclear-powered, conventionally armed submarines under the AUKUS partnership with Australia and the United States. The government also says it will invest 15 billion in Britain's nuclear arsenal, which consists of missiles carried on a handful of submarines. Details of those plans are likely to be scarce. The government will also increase conventional Britain's weapons stockpiles with up to 7,000 U.K.-built long-range weapons. Starmer said rearming would create a 'defense dividend' of well-paid jobs — a contrast to the post-Cold War 'peace dividend' that saw Western nations channel money away from defense into other areas. Like other NATO members, the U.K. has been reassessing its defense spending since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Healey said Russia is 'attacking the U.K. daily,' with 90,000 cyberattacks from state-linked sources directed at the U.K.'s defense over the last two years. A cyber command to counter such threats is expected to be set up as part of the review. 'This is a message to Moscow,' Healey told the BBC. Bolstering Europe's defenses It's also a message to Trump that Europe is heeding his demand for NATO members to spend more on their own defense. European countries, led by the U.K. and France, have scrambled to coordinate their defense posture as Trump transforms American foreign policy, seemingly sidelining Europe as he looks to end the war in Ukraine. Trump has long questioned the value of NATO and complained that the U.S. provides security to European countries that don't pull their weight. Robert Jenrick, justice spokesman for the main opposition Conservative Party, called on the government to be more ambitious and raise spending to 3% of national income by 2029. 'We think that 2034 is a long time to wait, given the gravity of the situation,' he told Sky News.
Bloomberg
an hour ago
- Bloomberg
EU Poised to Curb China's Access to Medical Device Procurement
The European Union is set to curb Chinese medical device manufacturers' access to public procurement contracts in the bloc, according to a person familiar with the matter. EU countries are due to vote on the proposed measure as early as Monday, said the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private deliberations.
