Border controls: GdP: Little asylum seekers at the borders – smugglers are waiting

Since the police rejected asylum seekers at the borders, according to observations from the police (GdP) union (GdP), fewer people seekers of protection have arrived there. “I suspect that the smugglers are now taking a break and wait and see how long the increased controls run,” says Sven Hüber, deputy GdP chairman for the federal police and customs. “If 25 to 28 asylum seekers are rejected at the limits in one day, that’s not a big deal,” he adds.

The minister’s decree came a week ago

Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) had an intensification of border controls on Wednesday last week – a few hours after taking office. At the same time, he ordered that asylum seekers should also be rejected at the border in the future. However, this should not apply to pregnant women, children and other relatives of vulnerable groups. Before that, only people who did not apply asylum, as well as foreigners who had been proven with a temporary entry ban, for example due to an earlier deportation, were rejected.

Checks directly at the border are a prerequisite for rejection. Dobrindt’s predecessor, Nancy Faeser (SPD), had gradually ordered this for all border sections. On the land border with Austria, there had been controls that have to be registered and justified by the EU Commission since autumn 2015.

At the neighboring countries, Dobrindt’s announcement met with skepticism. “The fact that neighboring countries reject the takeover of a foreigner who had traveled unauthorized occasionally occurs occasionally,” reports Hüber. This was also the case with the rejections that were previously.

Riot police supported

From the point of view of the union representatives, the question arises as to how sustainable the change now has and whether it is legally harmless – also with a view to European law. In addition, there would be foreseeable personnel bottlenecks. “Just as the border controls are running at the moment, this can be held out for a few months,” says Andreas Roßkopf, GdP chairman for the federal police and customs. The point where staff is missing from airports and train stations is not yet reached. “However, the riot police, which are now supported in border controls, are also needed elsewhere, and the colleagues at the limits are also not permanently avoiding further training and reducing overtime.”