Border Control Boosters Praise Long-Term Efficiency
Alexander Throm, a CDU poliitician and spokesperson for home affairs, lauds the new border controls as a success. Since their implementation in mid-October, he observes, they've surpassed expectations. "These checks have proven more efficient than we anticipated," Throm shared with the German Press Agency.
In his plea months prior, Throm urged Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) to instate stationary controls at additional border checkpoints, citing their potential to prevent potential harm to Germany.
Faeser followed suit, ordering static checks at Germany's borders with Poland, Czech Republic, and Switzerland, which had been in place at the Austrian border since 2015. The ten-day trial period was subsequently expanded twice by twenty days each time. Faeser justified this move as a necessary step to combat irregular immigration and human smuggling.
Shining a Light on the Situation
Preliminary data indicates that during the first month of enhanced border checks (since October 16), German Federal Police apprehended over 11,000 unauthorized border crossings, arrested 266 smugglers, and identified 3528 wanted individuals. They executed 670 arrest warrants, according to their statistics.
Throm regards these checks as a means of illuminating the situation and curbing irregular migration into Germany. Asked about the occasional bilateral asylum policy disagreements during Angela Merkel's tenure, he asserted "there's a significant degree of unity within our parliamentary group."
This unity stems, in part, from the CDU's comprehensive migration policy discussion initiated by party leader Friedrich Merz in the spring. The result, the "Humanity and Order" position paper, has provided a solid foundation for their collaborative efforts.
Enrichment Insights
- The sustained effectiveness of border control measures is demonstrated by a 37% decrease in asylum applications in Germany, alongside a 25% drop in unauthorized border crossings in January 2025 [2].
- Since the onset of border controls in September 2024, nearly 80,000 irregular entries have been identified, culminating in 47,000 deportations [4].
- These measures aim to bolster internal security, preventing attacks and ensuring public order [1][4].
- The checks have successfully apprehended 1,900 smugglers involved in organized crime-related irregular migration issues [4].
- The CDU and allied political parties advocate for these measures as a means of stemming irregular migration and upholding law and order, crucial talking points ahead of the February 23 elections [2][4].
[1] Source: [2] Source: [3] Source: [4] Source:
