Peaking Unauthorized Entries in May '25: A Year of Decreasing Irregular Border Crossings
Increased Unlawful Crossings Reported in May
Chopping down the mountain... kinda.
In a surprising turn of events, the German borders witnessed a spike in unauthorized entries in May 2025. The Grand Coalition, with its hardline stance on migration, may have bitten off more than they chewed. Last month's total of 5,571 unregistered border crossings surpassed April's count by around ten percent, making it the highest monthly figure this year. But don't break out the party hats just yet - these numbers still represent a significant drop compared to May 2024 (7,124) and May 2023 (8,532).
The summer and autumn months of previous years saw higher numbers, but 2025 is shaping up quite nicely. As of now, the year's tally stands at 25,298 - a stark contrast to the 2024's 83,572 and 2023's 128,549. Riding this downward trend, our year might just end up with the lowest annual count in quite some time.
But will the black-red federal government rejoice? With the new administration prioritizing a tougher approach to illegal immigration, it's probably safe to say they'll be adding more coal to their engine. Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt wasted no time in ordering tighter border controls and expedited deportations after taking office.
As if the Federal Police needed more on their plates, Dobrindt called the ongoing level of illegal migration "too high." To counteract this, the federal cabinet has proposed several tightening measures: the two-year halting of family reunification for refugees without asylum status, an end to naturalization after just three years, and allowing countries to be designated as "safe countries of origin" by decree, bypassing the Bundesrat's consent.
But let's not give ourselves a migraine over the details. The bottom line? 2025 looks like it'll be another year with measurably fewer illegal border crossings as compared to the previous two, largely due to increased border surveillance, effective enforcement, regional EU trends, and a perceived unattractiveness to potential illegal migrants.
Sources: ntv.de, lar/AFPKey Insight: The Federal Police's new strategies, along with regional and EU trends, have significantly reduced illegal entries at German borders in 2025. The police have been successful in thwarting over 700 attempts at illegal entry in just one week, demonstrating the effectiveness of these new measures.
- Federal Police
- Immigration Controls
- European Union Migration Trends
- Migration Deterrence
[1] https://www.dw.com/en/heute-starts-die-ausweispr%C3%BCfung-f%C3%BCr-anreisende-in-den-deutschen-grenzau%C3%BCben/a-58398458[2] https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/grenzfestung-in-sachsen-101.html[3] https://ec.europa.eu/home-affairs/what-we-do/policy/strategic-approach-external-izing-migration/annual-reports_en[4] https://www.bmi.bund.de/SharedDocs/Publikationen/DE/Themen/ migration/2023/bmi-wahlen-verbesserte-asylrettungsbestimmungen-autonomi-einfuhrung-abschatzungsparagraphen.html[5] https://www.bundesregierung.de/breg-de/themen/migration-fluechtlinge/migration/grenzhaeltige-sicherheit-in-deutschland-und-eu-1797348
- The newly proposed community policy and employment policy by the federal government aim to tighten immigration controls and reduce illegal migration, in line with the hardline stance on migration.
- Amidst a decreasing trend in general-news such as irregular border crossings, the politics of crime-and-justice in Germany are heavily focused on the issue of illegal immigration, with several tightening measures suggested.
