Euro 2024: Germany conducts 830,000 border checks
June 29, 2024
German authorities have carried out about 830,000 border checks from June 7 to the beginning of Euro 2024, police said.
National police chief Dieter Romann shared the figures on Friday, adding that 603 people had been arrested for offenses ranging from failure to make maintenance payments to homicide.
Romann said about 85 people were stopped at border checks on suspicion of crimes such as international terrorism as well as left-wing and right-wing extremism.
He also added that 86 people had been turned back at the border for hooliganism. Until Thursday, about 3,261 were not allowed to enter out of 4,659 unauthorized entries.
"Every day, 22,000 law enforcement officers from the federal police are deployed solely in connection with football," Romann said.
Checks to remain in place until July 19
Germany has ramped up border controls as part of increased security measures for the European championship.
"Our focus ranges from the threat of Islamist terrorism to hooliganism and cyberattacks," said Interior Minister Nancy Faeser.
Euro 2024 began June 14 and the final match is on July 14. The temporary checks will remain in place until July 19.
Additionally, existing checkpoints at Germany's borders with Poland, Czech Republic and Switzerland were extended by six months from the end of May.
tg/rm (dpa, DW sources)