Foreign Affairs Department has disclosed details:
The Federal Police have been shouldering the responsibility of controlling all German land borders since September 2024, a task that has proven to be a costly operation. According to recent reports, overtime compensation has emerged as the largest single expense in this endeavour.
Between September 2024 and June 2025, the Federal Police's overtime compensation for border control amounted to a staggering €37.9 million. This figure represents nearly half of the total spending on border control operations during this period, which stood at €80.5 million[1][3].
The quarterly costs of deploying federal police along internal borders ranged between €24 million and €29.1 million during the same period[1][5]. Additional relevant costs for the second quarter of 2025 (April to June) included:
- €8 million for meals and hotel accommodation for police officers
- Almost €3 million in allowances for working unsociable hours (night, weekend shifts)
- Around €2 million for operating border checkpoints[1][3]
These figures highlight the intensive deployment and extended working hours of approximately 14,000 federal officers stationed at the border checkpoints[3]. The high overtime costs reflect the commitment of these officers to maintaining security at Germany's borders.
As the Federal Police continue to manage border control, it is clear that careful management of resources will be essential to ensure the sustainability of this operation. The high cost of overtime compensation underscores the need for strategies to optimise working hours and reduce expenditure in this area.
[1] Source: Federal Ministry of the Interior, Building and Community (BMI) [3] Source: Die Welt [5] Source: Spiegel Online
The Federal Police's extensive commitments in the finance sector, particularly in managing overtime compensation, have been a significant contributing factor to the high costs associated with border control operations, as evidenced by the €37.9 million spent between September 2024 and June 2025. Additionally, the industry sector, specifically the accommodation industry, has seen increased revenues, with €8 million earned from providing meals and hotel accommodation for police officers during the same period.
