In 2022, 4667 illegal entries were prevented at Bavarian borders and airports, a record high since the founding of the Bavarian Border Police and a 52 percent increase from the previous year, according to Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann (CSU) as reported by “Bild”.
To track down every last illegal immigrant, a new technology is being deployed this year: Bavarian police officers can now use so-called heartbeat detectors to check vehicles for the presence of refugees without entering the vehicle.
“Despicable smugglers must be consistently thwarted,” Herrmann said. It is “unacceptable” that Schengen countries allow refugees to pass through unchecked, making the Free State of Bavaria a victim of illegal migration.
Heartbeat detectors are already in use in prisons
The detectors are small, rectangular sensors that are attached to the outside of buildings or vehicles. By measuring vibrations, they can determine within two to three minutes whether there is a heartbeat inside.
So far, the detectors have been primarily used in prisons. However, in Austria, the first trials of using them for border controls began last year, as reported by “Standard”.
