The number of registered human trafficking incidents in Germany rose by 60 percent last year. According to a current federal situation report, human traffickers are becoming increasingly unscrupulous.
The police registered significantly more human trafficking crimes in Germany in 2023. A total of around 7,920 cases of human trafficking were recorded, which corresponds to an increase of a good 60 percent compared to the previous year, according to the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) in Wiesbaden.
During the same period, the number of suspects rose by around a quarter to 4,404. According to the information, most suspects in human trafficking crimes were Syrian, German, Turkish and Ukrainian nationals.
The investigators said it was worrying that in an increasing number of cases people were being transported in containers that posed a danger to life and limb. “Most frequently, small vans were used for this purpose, which are easy to rent and for which no special driving license is required,” explained the BKA.
Among other things, such journeys risk oxygen or water deprivation, as well as hypothermia or injuries in the event of an accident. The average number of people found on the loading area of a van in Germany has almost doubled from ten to nineteen in 2022/2023, according to the federal situation report on human trafficking.
Smuggling vehicle is used for dangerous escape maneuvers
According to the BKA, the smuggling groups are becoming increasingly more willing to take risks and act more recklessly towards the people being smuggled, innocent third parties and the police in order to evade control. “Without any consideration for the occupants or other road users, the smuggling vehicle becomes an escape vehicle.”
In Germany, more than 200 escape attempts were reported in connection with so-called container smuggling in 2023, and one in four of these resulted in an accident.
Development of illegal migration
Illegal migration to Germany increased significantly in 2023. As the BKA explained with reference to police crime statistics, the security authority registered 266,224 suspects for illegal entry and illegal residence last year.
Compared to the previous year, this represents an increase of around a third (plus 33.4 percent). The main countries of origin of the suspects in Germany were Syria (54,207 people), Turkey (35,732 people) and Afghanistan (35,370 people).
In the first half of 2024, the number of migrants entering the country illegally at the German border fell by seven percent compared to the previous year, the Federal Police announced at the end of July. Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) ordered permanent controls at the land borders with Poland, the Czech Republic and Switzerland in mid-October last year and has extended them several times since then. However, six-month figures are only partially meaningful because the overall annual trend is missing.
Other main routes for locks
According to the BKA’s experience, the smuggling routes have shifted in 2023. Compared to the previous year, there was an increase in border crossings via the central Mediterranean to Italy (central Mediterranean route) and via the eastern Mediterranean to Greece (eastern Mediterranean route) when smuggling across the EU/Schengen external borders. In contrast, border crossings on the western Balkan route, for example via Albania, and the eastern route, for example via Russia to Poland, are declining.
Promotional videos on social media
Messenger services such as Telegram and WhatsApp were predominantly used for communication in human trafficking crimes, the BKA explained. In addition, human trafficking organizations used social media to market their services. Short videos were used primarily on Facebook, Instagram and Tiktok to actively promote human trafficking into Germany. Drivers were also recruited in the same way.
In the fight against smugglers, the police union (GdP) called for flexible and unpredictable border controls, “more modern technology for reading mobile phones”, facial recognition software, more mobile fingerprint devices and more staff. Smuggling is a billion-dollar business and the flow of money must be stopped. “Joint national and international cooperation between law enforcement authorities, especially customs, is essential here,” stressed the GdP.
“Deportations also to Syria and Afghanistan”
CSU General Secretary Martin Huber demanded “permanent border controls and rejections of unauthorized asylum seekers at the internal borders as well as deportations to Syria and Afghanistan.” The BKA report shows the failure of the traffic light government and Federal Interior Minister Faeser in the fight against illegal migration. The government must finally end its “refusal to work” here.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
