Border controls in Saarland: Federal police demand more staff!

Border controls in Saarland: Federal police demand more staff!

The focus is currently on border controls in Saarland as the local federal police point out an acute shortage of personnel. Despite Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) ordering stricter controls, the operational capability of the police presence at the borders is severely limited. The federal police in Saarland, which is normally staffed with 500 officers, needs significantly more staff to meet the new requirements. Werner Berger, chairman of the district group of the Saar Police Union (GdP), said that although additional forces have been made available, they remain insufficient to carry out the increased controls effectively reported the Saarbrücker Zeitung.

Dobrindt plans to “increase” controls and increase rejections of asylum seekers at Germany’s external borders. These measures not only pose challenges for the burden on federal police forces, but also cause different reactions within the political landscape of Saarland. While the SPD parliamentary group casts doubts and emphasizes the need for agreements with neighboring states, the Saarland CDU agrees with Dobrindt's measures. The AfD parliamentary group leader Dörr is also calling for further tightening of controls states Tagesschau.

Staff shortages and technical support

The GdP is not only calling for more staff, but also modern technical equipment to support the implementation of the new plans. Current estimates from the GdP indicate that up to 10,000 additional police officers could be needed at the state's internal borders nationwide in order to be able to carry out permanent tasks efficiently. Particularly in Saarland, a doubling of the number of officers required for border controls is seen as urgent.

In addition to the challenges posed by the lack of staff, border control in Saarland is complicated by problems with border traffic from France and Luxembourg. In order to cope with the increasing burden and the associated investigations, the central office for the processing of mass crimes (ZBMD) was set up in Bexbach. This new facility, which is staffed by 31 employees, is intended to provide significant relief to the investigative services of the Koblenz Federal Police Directorate and the Saarbrücken Federal Police Inspectorate. The Saarland Interior Minister Reinhold Jost (SPD) welcomes the establishment of this central office as an important step towards improving the situation at the external borders. Reports the Saarbrücker Zeitung.