In 2024, most illegal entries into Germany occurred via Switzerland, according to the German Federal Police. On September 21, 2024, German police officers were stationed at a federal
checkpoint near the German-Polish border in Frankfurt Oder, highlighting Germany’s recent efforts to expand border controls with its nine neighboring countries. This initiative, started on September 16, 2024, aims to curb irregular migration. Since Germany implemented temporary checks along its borders with Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria, and Switzerland in October 2023, federal authorities have recorded nearly 52,000 unauthorized entries and denied entry to around 30,000 individuals, per the German Federal Ministry of the Interior and Community.
The Federal Police documented 53,410 attempted illegal entries into Germany during the first nine months of 2024, as reported on October 27, 2024. The majority of refusals occurred along the Swiss border, according to the German newspaper Bild am Sonntag, which cited 28,321 people turned away at Germany’s land borders.
Entry refusals are possible primarily for individuals not seeking asylum or those under a temporary re-entry ban. Border controls typically are not part of the Schengen Area’s provisions, but Germany initiated these controls about a year ago in response to rising migration concerns. Authorities define illegal entry as any foreigner attempting to cross the border without a valid residence permit.
The report specifies that most rejections between January and September 2024 occurred at the Swiss border (9,113 people), followed by Poland (7,862), Austria (5,468), and France (2,350). The most frequently rejected nationalities included Ukrainians (5,935), Syrians (4,709), and Afghans (2,396). Additionally, officials documented 1,482 deported migrants who attempted re-entry despite existing bans.
German authorities also detained 1,195 individuals for people-smuggling activities and disrupted 1,088 smuggling operations. Between January and September, 7,783 individuals with outstanding arrest warrants were apprehended.
German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser defended the mid-September mandate for stationary checks at all land borders, citing the need to address irregular migration and combat threats from Islamist terrorists and cross-border crime. The expansion affected borders with Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg, along with existing controls at the French border due to the Paris Olympics. Enhanced checks along the borders with Poland, the Czech Republic, and Switzerland began in October 2023, following similar measures enacted on the German-Austrian border in 2015. Photo by Maksym Kozlenko, Wikimedia commons.