German authorities have recorded 4,622 smuggling operations during the year, marking a 41.9 percent decrease compared with 2024. The temporary reintroduction of internal border controls was accompanied by stricter checks, while cases of irregular entry and human smuggling fell sharply, reflecting reduced pressure at the EU's external borders.
Human smuggling into Germany declined 41.9 percent in 2025 compared with 2024, mirroring a broader drop in irregular migration, according to a report released on Friday (July 24) by the Federal Police and the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA). Authorities recorded 4,622 smuggling operations during 2025.
Particularly serious incidents, including cases involving fatalities, fell even more sharply, dropping 57.6 percent to 147.
The report found that 4,190 migrants were identified as having been smuggled into Germany, down 55.7 percent from the previous year. The largest groups of people smuggled were Afghan, Syrian, Turkish, Somali and Ukrainian nationals.
Germany's eastern borders with Poland and Austria remained the main routes for smuggling activity, although activities declined significantly as some operations shifted towards the country's western frontiers, according to the report.
Police identified 3,088 suspected smugglers, a drop of just over 23 percent year on year. Most suspects were young men, with Germans, Syrians, Ukrainians, Turks, Somalis, and Afghans making up the largest nationality groups.
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Irregular migration declines across the European continent
Police statistics recorded 187,220 cases of unauthorized entry or irregular residence in Germany in 2025, down 30 percent from 267,497 cases in 2024. The leading countries of origin were Turkey, Syria and Afghanistan.
Irregular crossings at the European Union's external borders dropped approximately 25 percent in 2025, with 180,139 crossings reported, reflecting a wider European trend.
The most significant declines were recorded on the Atlantic and western Mediterranean routes, where crossings fell by 42 percent, and along the Balkan route, which recorded a 41.8 percent decrease.
However, despite the overall decline, Germany remained one of the main destination countries for irregular migrants in Europe.
The temporary reintroduction of internal border controls was accompanied by more rigorous patrols, according to the report. However, the BKA and Federal Police noted that substantially fewer cases of irregular entry and human smuggling were detected than in the previous year, showing the overall reduction in crossing attempts at the EU's external borders.
With dpa