The number of individuals suspected of illegally entering Germany increased significantly in 2023, the Bundeskriminalamt (BKA - Federal Criminal Police Office) reported on Wednesday.
Last year, authorities suspected 266,224 people of unauthorised entry into the country, a 33.4% increase on the previous year. The majority were apprehended by federal police.
Frontex, the European border and coastguard agency, recorded about 380,200 unauthorised entries into the Schengen Area, including Germany, the highest number since 2016, the BKA said.
The majority of these migrants hailed from Syria (54,207), Turkey (35,732), and Afghanistan (35,370).
According to the BKA, many were aided by smugglers, frequently crossing Germany in vans.
To evade detection and prosecution, smugglers increasingly take risks.
Moreover, they display a reckless disregard for the safety of the people they transport, innocent bystanders, and the police involved, the BKA highlighted.
