Because irregular migration activity and illegal smuggling of migrants continue to pose major challenges to Europe, Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser visited the border between Germany and the Czech Republic on Monday. At the Federal Police District Office of Waidhaus, she spoke with officials there about internal border checks, irregular migration and illegal smuggling of migrants. She was accompanied by Uli Grötsch, the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Federal Police Authorities.

Federal Minister Faeser stressed how important police work on the ground is and what impacts it has: “Since we have been conducting temporary checks at the internal border here – that is, since mid-October 2023 – the Federal Police have recorded approximately 6,000 illegal entries and have apprehended about 130 human smugglers,” she said. “Some 1,900 illegal entries have been prevented.”

The number of illegal entries occurring monthly at the German-Czech border has been in a three-figure range since November 2023, whereas in September 2023, before the measures began, some 3,300 illegal entries were seen there in a single month. “This shows that our measures are working,” Federal Minister Faeser said, “also because we are working in close coordination with our neighbouring countries.”

German and Czech police forces working together closely at the border

Federal Minister Faeser also spoke about the contributions of the Czech Republic: “Our good and trusting border control cooperation with the Czech Republic is indispensable”, she said.

Forty-five officers work at the border police duty station in Waidhaus, on the land border to the Czech Republic. Internal border checks will also be temporarily reintroduced for this year’s European football championship, UEFA EURO 2024.

Protection and security measures for EURO 2024

The temporary internal border checks at all of Germany’s Schengen borders serve to avert threats with cross-border impacts and to reduce potential threats. Federal Minister Faeser will be notifying the EU level of these checks shortly.

On Monday, she also visited the Federal Police in Bayreuth. While there, she said: “The federal and state security authorities will provide the best possible protection to this major international sporting event through comprehensive measures. I was able to see this first-hand once again at the Federal Police in Bayreuth, and I am very grateful to the Federal Police for all the excellent work they’re doing.”

A staff of more than 550 works in Bayreuth, where operational exercises related to UEFA EURO 2024 are currently being conducted. The European football championship will begin on 14 June.
In Bayreuth yesterday, almost 200 Federal Police officers took part in an operational exercise for UEFA EURO 2024.

Cross-border work towards international understanding

In the German-Czech border region, there are also many cross-border cooperation projects. Many of them are coordinated by Euregio Egresis, a cross-border organisation in Marktredwitz, Germany. Federal Minister Faeser also visited this organisation on Monday.

She spoke with people there about their work in the border region, which focuses primarily on dismantling stereotypes and prejudices about the neighbouring country. To this end, Euregio initiates numerous exchange projects, especially for children and young people.