At its last meeting in Berlin at the end of 2023, the Standing Conference of Interior Ministers and Senators of the Federal States (IMK) addressed the impact of international events and crises on internal security in Germany.
Thanks to Germany’s police forces
The IMK thanked the police forces in Germany above all for their tireless efforts to protect Jewish and Israeli lives. The IMK adopted comprehensive resolutions – from the intensification of preventive measures in the fight against anti-Semitism to consistent online prosecution and the shutdown of radical Islamic social media accounts to further bans on activities and associations. The IMK also asked the Federal Ministry of the Interior and Home Affairs to add questions on the special responsibility of Jewish life in Germany and Israel’s right to exist to naturalisation tests.
The IMK welcomes the Federal Government’s intention to deny naturalisation in Germany to people with anti-Semitic, racist and other inhuman attitudes. Interior Minister Nancy Faeser expressed her gratitude for the unity and unity of the federal and state governments in the fight against anti-Semitism and Islamism. The heightened threat posed by Islamist terror is being closely monitored, she said. “We will continue to smash Islamist groups. We will continue this tough approach against Islamists together.”
Protection of Jewish life enjoys special protection in Germany
The interior politicians emphasised that Jewish life in Germany enjoys special protection from the state. This promise is part of the foundation of values. The IMK agreed to continue its course with determination and, in particular, to consistently combat all forms of anti-Semitism and Islamism. It is unacceptable to abuse the freedom of opinion and freedom of assembly in Germany in order to chant anti-Israel, anti-Semitic and violence-glorifying slogans on the street without restraint. The IMK has also dealt intensively with migration policy issues. It welcomed the improvement in repatriation and the continuation of the reintroduced internal border controls beyond 15 December 2023. According to the interior ministers, this is having an effect. There has been a noticeable decrease in illegal migration. Border controls and search measures would continue.
Football violence is a cause for concern
Other topics discussed by the interior ministers included the riots at football matches. The IMK expressed concern about the extent of violence in stadiums. It is intolerable that violent riots occur on a regular basis. “It is even more intolerable that police officers have to take the fall every weekend to protect stadium guests and that police officers are repeatedly injured, sometimes seriously,” said Hamburg’s Senator for Internal Affairs Andy Gote.
Another topic was the protection of critical infrastructure, in particular airport security. It had been established on several occasions that the existing security measures were not effective enough in preventing unauthorised persons from entering. Security standards need to be standardised across Germany. In addition, those responsible for hours-long blockades and disruptions to air traffic should be held more accountable than before. “Criminal law needs to be tightened up here!” The legalisation of cannabis was once again among the other topics discussed by the interior ministers. Everyone was aware that the legalisation of cannabis would have a significant impact on safety, according to the federal states. However, if cannabis is legalised by the federal government next year, this would be an unprepared entry into the uncontrolled release of drugs.
