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Federal Police at the german-Polish border crossing: More unauthorized entries

Photo: Patrick Pleul / dpa

At the German borders, the Federal Police detected significantly more unauthorized entries in the first half of 2023 than in the same period a year earlier. From January to June inclusive, the police registered 45,338 people entering the country illegally, compared to 29,174 in the first half of 2022. This is announced by the Federal Police.

Unauthorized entry means that people did not have the necessary visas, residence permits or identity papers. Most of them are refugees or migrants who are seeking protection after entering Germany. Of the people registered in the first half of the year, 12,331 came across the german-Polish border and another 4551 across the german-Czech border, the Federal Police added when asked.

Recently, a growing number of arrivals via the so-called Belarus route, which leads via Poland to Brandenburg and Saxony, had been reported. Both states had demanded stationary border controls in the spring, but Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) rejected them. Instead, controls in the border area and cooperation with the Polish authorities have been strengthened. More intensive controls can lead to more illegal arrivals being detected.

PTZ/dpa