Border controls in Saarland: Over 50% of migrants stay in the country!

Border controls in Saarland: Over 50% of migrants stay in the country!

The situation at the German borders remains tense, as current reports confirm. By the end of July 2023, around 4,100 illegal entries were registered at border controls with neighboring West Germany alone. The majority of these border crossings took place primarily in Saarland and Rhineland-Palatinate. In particular, 2,573 people from France were affected, 1,304 from Luxembourg and 219 from Belgium. According to Apollo News Over 50 percent of the migrants were rejected.

A closer look at the numbers shows that 1,364 migrants were sent back to France, a rejection rate of 53 percent. From Luxembourg there were even 869 out of 1,304, which accounts for around 66 percent. To Belgium, 132 of 219 migrants were turned away. Overall, this results in a deportation rate of around 58 percent during this period. These numbers are part of a broader trend observed since September 2022.

The increase in illegal migration

A look at the nationwide statistics shows an alarming increase in illegal entries. A total of 127,549 findings were documented in 2023, which corresponds to an increase of 38.7 percent compared to the previous year. The data comes from a report by Federal Office for Migration and Refugees. The term “irregular residence” refers to all people who live in Germany without a right of residence and are not registered with the authorities.

It is important to know that unauthorized entries and stays are not only punishable by fines or imprisonment, but also pose significant organizational challenges for the German authorities. Asylum procedures often run parallel to criminal proceedings, which further complicates dealing with those affected.

Border controls and rejection rates

In order to overcome the challenges of illegal migration, the federal government has increased border controls in the Schengen area again. These measures are expected to continue until 2025 and the controls have already borne fruit. In the period from September 2024 to January 2025, the federal police stopped over 22,000 unauthorized entries, of which around 15,000 were sent back to their countries of origin. That too ZDF reports a decline in illegal entries by over a third compared to the previous year.

Interior Minister Nancy Faeser emphasizes the effectiveness of these controls and emphasizes the successes in combating smuggling networks. Border controls have been established at the German-Austrian border since 2015 and enable the German authorities to systematically monitor entry.

New deportation facilities and challenges

However, the situation remains tense as many of the attempted deportations fail. Around half of those affected cannot be found, which requires a legislative rethink. To address this problem, a new deportation prison with 30 places is being built in Volkstedt, Saxony-Anhalt. However, according to reports, the construction will be significantly more expensive than originally planned. Instead of the initially estimated 4 million euros, costs are expected to be around 37.4 million euros. This is attributed to the general cost increases in the construction industry.

In summary, it is clear that German politics faces major challenges in effectively curbing illegal migration. Rejection rates are high, but there is still intense pressure at the borders that continues to challenge the authorities. The question remains as to how sustainable and effective the current measures actually are.