Germany has refused entry to 18,598 people since enhanced checks at all land frontiers were introduced in May, according to new data from the Federal Police.
Between 8 May and the end of October, officers recorded 25,318 attempts at unauthorised entry; most individuals were either refused entry at the boundary or removed immediately after crossing.
The figures follow a directive issued on 7 May by Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt ordering strengthened controls and authorising refusals at all nine land borders with neighbouring states. Exemptions apply to “vulnerable” groups, including children and pregnant women, the Federal Police said.
Of those turned away, about 1,000 people arrived from countries Germany classifies as “safe”, a designation that in practice excludes them from lodging an asylum claim at the border. A further 909 individuals were subject to re-entry bans and were therefore refused entry. Police also reported detaining 868 suspected smugglers and identifying 4,589 people with outstanding arrest warrants during the checks.
The government’s approach builds on temporary checks first reintroduced on Germany’s western and northern borders in September 2024 and extended subsequently. The stated aim has been to reduce irregular entries across the Schengen area’s normally control-free internal frontiers.
The Interior Ministry has simultaneously instructed officers to turn back asylum seekers at the frontier if they have already lodged an application in another EU member state. The Federal Police data indicate that 201 people from defined vulnerable categories expressed an asylum request at the border during the period covered.
Separate indicators point to a wider fall in asylum activity this year. According to the Interior Ministry and media briefings confirmed by officials, first-time asylum applications in October 2025 were down by about 55% compared with October 2024 (8,823 versus 19,785). Earlier official monthly releases also showed marked declines versus 2024 across the first three quarters.
The trend of fewer unauthorised entries has been noted in broader Federal Police reporting through 2025. In January–September, the number of detected unauthorised entries fell sharply compared with the same period in 2024 and 2023, with authorities attributing part of the decline to the sustained use of internal border checks.
At the same time, removals have increased. Government responses to parliamentary questions indicate that 17,651 people were deported from January to September 2025, up from 14,706 in the same period a year earlier—an increase of roughly one fifth. The interior ministry earlier this year also pointed to year-on-year rises in enforced returns.
The enforcement push has prompted legal scrutiny. In June, a German court ruled that border police acted unlawfully when they turned back three Somali asylum seekers at the Polish frontier without processing their claims, citing obligations under EU rules governing responsibility for asylum applications. The ruling does not suspend the current controls but underscores the potential for further litigation over refusals at the border.
Germany’s tightened regime includes both stationary and mobile checks and relies on cooperation with neighbouring countries. Policymakers argue that the measures disrupt smuggling networks and reduce secondary movements inside the EU. Critics contend that systematic refusals risk breaching EU and international obligations if protection claims are not examined on the merits, particularly where individuals have not previously sought asylum within the Union.
The Federal Police numbers published this week offer a snapshot to the end of October and may be revised as administrative actions are finalised. For now, they suggest a sustained reduction in new asylum claims and irregular crossings compared with last year, alongside a rise in deportations and ancillary enforcement outcomes, such as arrests of suspects wanted on unrelated warrants. The interior ministry has signalled that controls and targeted refusals will continue while discussions proceed on EU-level measures and external border management.
Methodology and definitions: the Federal Police classify “unauthorised entry” as crossing without the required residence permission; “refusal” covers both turning away at the frontier and immediate “push-backs” after illegal crossing under national law. People from “safe countries” are generally deemed ineligible for asylum at the border absent exceptional circumstances. The October application figures reflect first-time claims recorded by the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees and exclude temporary protection for Ukrainians.
