Human smuggling detected in Germany fell sharply in 2025 along with irregular migration overall, the national police forces reported on Friday.
A total of 4,622 smuggling operations were registered, 41.9% fewer than in the previous year according to the Federal Police and the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA). These include 147 particularly serious cases and those in which people died, which fell by 57.6%.
These are criminal activities in which people are brought into the country without a valid visa or residence permit.
The police situation report showed that 4,190 people were known to have been smuggled into the country, representing a decrease of 55.7% over 2024. The most common nationalities among the migrants were Afghans, Syrians, Turks, Somalis and Ukrainians.
Germany’s eastern borders with Poland and Austria remained hotspots, although with a strong downward trend as some smuggling operations shifted to the western borders.
The suspected perpetrators identified were predominantly young men. A total of 3,088 suspects were registered – a decrease of just over 23%. The most represented nationalities were Syrians, Germans, Turks, Ukrainians and Afghans.
Less migration to Germany and Europe
The decline in smuggling is accompanied by a much lower overall number of people entering Germany irregularly than in previous years. The police crime statistics for 2025 show a total of 187,220 cases of irregular entry or irregular residence – 30% fewer than the previous year with 267,497 cases. The main countries of origin in 2025 were Turkey, Syria and Afghanistan.
The report also states that the number of people entering Europe irregularly in 2025 was about a quarter lower. A total of 180,139 such crossings at the European Union’s external borders were recorded.
Migration across the Atlantic and the western Mediterranean declined particularly sharply, down 42%, and via the Balkans (41.8%). However, the report notes that Germany remains one of the main destination countries in Europe.
“The temporary reintroduction of internal border controls was accompanied by an increased intensity of checks,” the BKA and the Federal Police concluded in the report. “Nevertheless, significantly fewer people entering or being smuggled irregularly were registered than in the previous year. This development reflects the situation at the external borders.”
Source: dpa
