In 2022, the Federal Police detected more unauthorized entries into Germany than in several years. According to the authority responsible for border protection, a total of 91,986 people came to Germany illegally last year. In the previous year, which was even more affected by the travel restrictions of the corona pandemic, the federal police had identified 57,637 unauthorized entries.

A significant increase in the second half of the year was observed in 2022. In January, 4,436 people were found entering the country illegally. In October, this figure was more than 13,000 unauthorized entries, and in December there were around 8,600 such entries without permission. The Federal Police Headquarters pointed out that cases in which unauthorized entry is prevented before entering federal territory are not included in these statistics.

"Highest level in six years"

"The findings made by the federal police for the year 2022 in this context represent the highest level in six years," said the security authority.

The majority of unauthorized entries were detected at the borders. In a response from the federal government to a written question from the domestic policy spokesman for the Union faction, Alexander Throm (CDU), it is said that by the end of November 2022, more than 71,500 people had entered the country illegally. The fact that the largest proportion of them - 20,717 people entering Austria - was noticed at the border with Austria is probably also due to the stationary internal border controls that take place there as an exception to the Schengen rules. The fact that Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) had extended this was met with criticism from the Greens.

The list available to the German Press Agency also shows that 15,488 unauthorized entries were registered at the border with the Czech Republic in the same period, and there were 13,640 cases at the Polish-German border.

"Traffic light Germany does not have illegal migration under control"

"The figures from the federal police confirm what we have been warning about for months: Traffic light Germany does not have illegal migration under control," said Throm. The municipalities are on their own with the consequences of this crisis. They cannot hope for help from the federal government, "because Nancy Faeser still denies that we are in the middle of a migration crisis again."

According to the federal police, there was also an increase last year in the number of smugglers who were identified. Here the number rose from 2132 findings in the previous year to 2728. The federal government is currently voting on a reform of the law that regulates the tasks and powers of the federal police.