Between 2019 and 2022, it was reported a threefold increase in the number of Turkish citizens apprehended while attempting to enter Germany illegally.
Data from the federal police responsible for border security points out that instances of Turkish citizens being caught entering Germany without valid residence or travel documents surged from 2,077 in 2019 to 9,094 in the previous year, marking a 338 per cent rise.
Local media also reports that providing further insight, the police disclosed that the number of Turkish citizens illegally entering Germany from January to September 2023 reached 12,321. They anticipate this number to escalate to 20,000 by the year-end, indicating a tenfold increase compared to the figures recorded in 2019.
In addition, the police have revealed that the number of Turkish men apprehended at the German border is four times higher than women, with half of the arrivals falling within the 18 to 32 age range.
Data further show a significant rise in the number of children under 14 among arrivals in 2023, reaching approximately 25 per cent, a notable increase from five to nine per cent in 2022 among Turkish asylum seekers.
Turkish asylum seekers have witnessed a remarkable surge in applications to Germany, marking a 200 per cent increase compared to the previous year. This places them as the second-largest group seeking asylum in Germany, following Syrians.
A lawyer from a refugee-focused non-governmental organisation in Germany, Dündar Kelloğlu, highlighted a shift in migration patterns. He noted that while Turkish men traditionally migrated without proper documents, bringing their families later, recent trends show an increasing number embarking on the journey with their families, including young children, despite the associated risks.
Experts anticipate that irregular migration from Turkey to Germany will persist, with Murat Erdoğan, a migration researcher, citing perceived safety concerns and challenges in obtaining visas for legal entry to Europe as driving factors. As a result, individuals attempting this journey reportedly pay smugglers between 6,000 to 10,000 euros per person.
Balkan countries play a significant role in irregular migration to Germany, facilitated by Turkish citizens’ ability to travel to Serbia without a visa. Some refugees revealed utilising smugglers to travel through Balkan countries and enter Germany by land. Additionally, individuals obtaining visas through dubious employment arrangements in Poland have sought to move and stay in Germany.
In the previous year, Germany detained 91,986 irregular migrants attempting illegal entry, and in the first nine months of the current year, the figure reached 89,819. The aftermath of the 2016 coup attempt in Turkey prompted thousands to flee, seeking asylum due to the government’s crackdown on non-loyalists.
