German media report that the number of illegal entries into Germany continues to remain high. As the German federal police spokesperson emphasizes, in the first half of the year, police at the Brandenburg-Polish border returned approximately 3,140 people to Poland. And Brandenburg is just one of three German states that border Poland. As Aleksandra Fedorska estimates, the total number of expulsions to Poland may have already exceeded 10,000.
German media report that the number of illegal entries into Germany continues to remain high. As the German federal police spokesperson emphasizes, in the first half of the year, police at the Brandenburg-Polish border returned approximately 3,140 people to Poland. And Brandenburg is just one of three German states that border Poland.
On Monday, the federal police directorate in Berlin presented statistical data showing that the number of unauthorized entries into Germany rose significantly from approximately 8,400 to 15,000 per year between 2021 and 2023, and is comparable in the current year. Through July, the figure stood at 6,547 cases.
This number also includes individuals entering Germany from the Polish side who arrive via the so-called Belarusian route. According to earlier information from the federal government and federal police, the largest group of people who arrived illegally in Germany via Belarus last year and in the first half of 2024 were Afghans, followed by Syrians.
In October of last year, stationary border controls were introduced at the Brandenburg border with Poland. At the end of November, Brandenburg Interior Minister Michael Stuebgen (CDU) reported a decline in the number of unauthorized entries. However, current data indicate that since February, numbers similar to or even slightly higher than the previous year are being recorded.
According to the federal police spokesperson, in the first half of the year, police at the Brandenburg-Polish border returned approximately 3,140 people to Poland. As the spokesperson states, pushbacks have been possible since the temporary reinstatement of border controls and must be carried out if foreign nationals do not possess documents authorizing entry onto federal territory.
Aleksandra Fedorska, a journalist covering German affairs, points out, however, that Brandenburg is just one of the three German states bordering Poland. She therefore estimates that the overall number of expulsions to Poland has likely already exceeded 10,000. "Is that why Germany is no longer providing a comprehensive, up-to-date total of expulsions?" Fedorska asks.
