At a Berlin press conference on 12 October, German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt warned that the country is facing a “shadow war” waged through sabotage, cyber-attacks and disinformation that surpasses the threat level of the Cold War. Flanked by domestic-intelligence chief Sinan Selen, Dobrindt argued that hybrid operations attributed to Russia are designed to destabilise Germany and its allies and therefore justify expanding the powers of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) and maintaining robust border security. The remarks come two months after authorities thwarted an explosives-laden-drone attack at a German airport—an incident investigators also link to Russian actors. According to the BfV, attempts to infiltrate critical infrastructure have increased markedly since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The ministry’s draft reform bill, currently before parliament, would allow intelligence services to take active defensive cyber-measures and cooperate more closely with police at border crossings and transport hubs. From a global-mobility perspective, the rhetoric signals that heightened security screening of travellers—especially those arriving from or transiting through perceived high-risk regions—is likely to remain in place. Companies moving staff into or out of Germany should expect more frequent secondary inspections at airports and land borders, and ensure that employees’ travel histories and documentation are in strict order. Business associations have voiced concern that expanded intelligence powers could slow visa issuance for applicants requiring background checks, a process that has already lengthened since the re-introduction of internal border controls. Dobrindt countered that economic openness depends on a secure environment and promised additional staffing for consular posts to avoid bottlenecks. The ministry is expected to push the reform package through the Bundestag before the winter recess. If adopted, the law would mark the most significant upgrade of Germany’s domestic-security architecture in two decades and could embed intelligence-led risk profiling more deeply into immigration and border-management processes.
Source: Quews News / Reuters syndication
