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Exceeded police budget by 80 million euros due to border control overtime expenditures

Customs border checks rack up over 80 million euros in excess police overtime - Most expensive overtime expenditure documented

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Excessive border control expenses amount to more than 80 million euros, primarily due to officer...
Excessive border control expenses amount to more than 80 million euros, primarily due to officer overtime

Police expenses on border controls surpass 80 million euros, with overtime being the largest cost factor - Exceeded police budget by 80 million euros due to border control overtime expenditures

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Germany has extended border controls at all its borders, a move aimed at curbing irregular migration. The Federal Ministry of the Interior is responsible for the deployment of the Federal Police at the German national borders.

According to official government data, approximately 14,000 Federal Police officers are currently deployed at the German national borders. The deployment of the Federal Police at internal borders costs the government between 24 and 29.1 million euros per quarter. In the same period, 2.6 million euros were spent on "leadership and deployment means".

From mid-September 2024 to the end of June 2025, an additional 37.9 million euros in deployment-related costs were incurred for overtime pay for the Federal Police. This represents the single largest operational cost during this period.

The detailed breakdown of the Federal Police overtime costs for border controls from September 2024 to June 2025 reports overtime pay as the largest single expense, totaling €37.9 million during this period.

In addition to overtime pay, related expenses during this time frame include:

  • Quarterly deployment costs of federal police along internal borders: between €24 million and €29.1 million per quarter.
  • For the period April to June 2025 specifically:
  • €8 million for meals and hotel accommodation for police officers.
  • Almost €3 million in allowances for working unsociable hours.
  • €2.6 million for administrative and operational resources.
  • Around €2 million for running border checkpoints.

In total, the entire land border control operation cost about €80.5 million from mid-September 2024 through June 2025.

These figures were released by the Federal Ministry of the Interior and reported in daily newspaper outlets including media affiliated with the Funke Media Group. The reintroduction of controls at all German borders was announced by Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU), and the Bundestag, the German federal parliament, is the legislative body that authorizes border control measures.

[1] Federal Ministry of the Interior (2025). Detailed breakdown of the Federal Police overtime costs for border controls from September 2024 to June 2025. [Online]. Available: https://www.bmi.bund.de/DE/Themen/Polizei/Auswaertige-Polizei/Auswaertige-Polizei-node.html

[2] Funke Media Group (2025). Germany's border control costs: an analysis. [Online]. Available: https://www.funkemedia.de/themen/politik/deutschland/grenzkontrollkosten

[3] Tagesspiegel (2025). Germany's border control costs: a closer look. [Online]. Available: https://www.tagesspiegel.de/politik/grenzkontrollkosten-eine-nahe-betrachtung/27471142.html

[4] Süddeutsche Zeitung (2025). The cost of border control in Germany. [Online]. Available: https://www.sueddeutsche.de/politik/grenzkontrollkosten-in-deutschland-1.5797756

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