The Bavarian Border Police, founded in 2018, had its hands full last year. With 54,857 operations, there were 1,210 fewer operations than in 2022, which is still the second highest number since the border police were founded six years ago.
“It is our duty to ensure the safety of our citizens. The past year in particular has shown us how important border controls are,” said Bavaria’s Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann during a visit to Neuhaus am Inn. For this reason, the current 850-strong force is to be increased to 1,500 police officers by 2028. This also seems to be necessary, as last year there was an increase in smuggling offenses and illegal migration. 360 smugglers were arrested. Furthermore, 4,667 unauthorized entries and re-entries were identified during veiled searches and stationary border controls, an increase of around 52 percent compared to 2022. Thanks to the recently higher density of controls, there is currently a slight decrease in unauthorized entries.
Increasing migration flows
Bavaria’s Interior Minister is certain that the current situation will not mean a permanent turnaround. The politician expects larger migration flows once more in the spring.
The importance of the controls is shown by the fact that two thirds of the asylum seekers who came to Germany in 2022 were not previously registered in a European country. Herrmann sees this as a massive violation by certain countries of the Schengen Agreement. “Schengen countries that allow refugees to enter and transit uncontrolled are not fulfilling their obligations,” said Herrmann during his border visit.
The fact that the work of border guards can sometimes be very dangerous became clear in October 2023, when seven migrants died when a smuggler attempted to escape. “The smugglers are becoming more and more brutal. Not only towards the refugees, some of whom the police find crammed together in very small spaces, but also once morest the officials. Threats and physical attacks are not uncommon. The inhumane smugglers must be stopped. We are “We’re on the right track and won’t stop until we’ve achieved it,” emphasized Herrmann.
Modern devices
When searching for illegal migrants, Bavaria relies not only on well-trained employees, but also on the most modern technical aids.
Innovative personal detection devices that can use heartbeats to detect people hidden in truck beds, for example, are currently being tested. “The smugglers are becoming more and more inventive. People are hidden everywhere in the vehicle. Thanks to the new device, we can find them more easily,” says Thomas Ritzer, head of operations at the Passau border police.
ePaper
Author
Omer Tarabic
Local editor Innviertel
Omer Tarabic
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