06-08-2025
What have three months of stricter border controls in Germany achieved?
In May, Interior Minister Dobrindt announced a change in German migration policy and introduced stricter border controls - a measure which he said would remain in place until further notice.
Poland responded with its own border controls, while critics warned that the federal police would be overwhelmed.
Have there actually been more rejections?
Not if you look at the figures alone. According to figures from the Federal Ministry of the Interior available to the AFP news agency, a total of 9,254 people were turned away at the borders between May 8 and July 31—that's around 770 per week.
The federal police recently published a figure of 9,506, which includes not only rejections but also a small number of so-called pushbacks. This is the case when refugees have already entered German territory and are forced to leave the country again.
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At 770 per week, the number of rejections is roughly on par with the first four months of 2025 and the fourth quarter of 2024. However, Dobrindt regularly points to the long-term effect of border controls. These have led to fewer refugees making their way to Germany overall, argues the CSU minister.
Where were most of the rejections?
At the border with France, where a total of 2,038 rejections were recorded between May 8 and July 31. There were also four-digit numbers of rejections at the borders with Poland (1,816), Switzerland (1,760), and Austria (1,623). This was followed by the Netherlands (706), the Czech Republic (576), Luxembourg (208), Belgium (413), and Denmark (114).
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In May and June, most of those turned back came from Afghanistan, followed by Algeria, Eritrea, and Somalia. No breakdown by country of origin was available for July.
The police union warned of an overload for the federal police. What is its view now?
'The federal police are still under a lot of pressure from the increased internal border controls,' Andreas Roßkopf, the GdP chairman responsible for the federal police, told AFP. Some departments have still changed their duty rosters and are 'largely foregoing training and further education,' Roßkopf added. 'Leave to reduce overtime is also being granted only on a restrictive basis.'
According to the Federal Ministry of the Interior, the number of officers deployed at the borders each day was increased from 11,000 to 14,000 when the stricter controls began. That is just under a third of the total federal police force. The federal government has always emphasized that the measure cannot be maintained in the long term.
Is there now a shortage of staff at airports and train stations?
Critics have feared this. Due to the summer travel rush, these locations are extremely busy, which means a lot of work for the police. The Ministry of the Interior is keeping the number of officers at airports and train stations secret for 'tactical reasons.' According to the GdP, staffing levels are 'almost identical' to last year.
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'But of course, we are lacking support from the riot police and mobile units,' said Roßkopf.
'Especially with the soccer leagues now starting, with the high volume of soccer fans traveling by train, this support is urgently needed,' warned the union representative.
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For several years now, there has been a shortage of around 4,000 officers at the more than 5,700 train stations and stops alone. According to Roßkopf's forecast, staffing shortages are possible as a result. 'With rising crime at train stations and increasing violence among traveling soccer fans, we consider this to be a cause for concern,' said Roßkopf.
The Interior Ministry, however, has given the all-clear: 'It is ensured that the federal police will fulfill their legally assigned tasks.'
How are border controls affecting overtime?
That's difficult to say in general terms. According to the ministry, the federal police had accumulated 2.9 million hours of overtime by June 30. This figure is likely to have risen due to the additional workload at the borders.
However, the majority of the overtime has been accumulated by officers over many years: as of March 31, 2025, the figure already stood at 2.4 million hours. There is no breakdown of the reasons for the overtime, including that accumulated since May 8.
