The number of refugees entering Germany illegally via Switzerland has risen sharply in recent months. Figures from the German federal police show that only 167 people entered Germany illegally through Switzerland in April – about five refugees a day. This reports the “Südkurier”.
According to the first information, the federal police counted about ten times as many illegal border crossings from Switzerland in October, namely 1,739.
An increase was already visible in July. At that time, 345 people illegally entered Germany from Switzerland. That number rose to 481 in August and to 864 in September. German politicians accuse Switzerland of simply waving refugees to Germany.
Record values not yet reached
Up to and including October, nearly 4,800 people illegally entered Germany from Switzerland in the current year. In comparison, in the years 2016 and 2017 with particularly intensive migration movements, there were 7138 and 5127 people.
Ann-Veruschka Jurisch (50), FDP member of the Bundestag from Konstanz and in the competent committee for internal affairs, is therefore concerned. “The figures confirm what is being criticized against Switzerland,” she told the “Südkurier”. She demands that people who are illegally in Switzerland and not applying for asylum be detained and returned by the Swiss authorities. “Switzerland must act urgently and prove that it is a reliable partner in Europe.”
Borders “holey as Swiss cheese”
Thorsten Frei (49), leader of the CDU/CSU faction in the Bundestag, believes that Switzerland simply waves the migrants through. “In the longer term, Germany threatens to be flooded,” says Fink. “Germany’s borders should no longer be full of holes like Swiss cheese.” Frei demands that the manhunt be stepped up behind the border and that border controls be considered as a last resort. In addition to Switzerland, however, Frei also sees the traffic light government as a scapegoat. Their immigration policies have largely failed.
According to their own statements, the federal police have already stepped up the veil hunt. Trains or vehicles arriving in Germany from Switzerland are checked. The so-called veil search does not have to take place in the immediate vicinity of the border and is allowed up to 30 kilometers from the border.
Many migrants prefer to apply for asylum in Germany than in Switzerland, because it is easier for them to work there. The Schengen/Dublin Agreement stipulates that refugees who illegally cross the border must be returned to the place where they first applied for asylum. In practice, however, rejections often prove difficult to implement. There is therefore a good chance that migrants will be able to submit an asylum application in the country of destination of their choice after entering the country of destination. (no)