Germany’s federal police system recorded 148,515 active arrest warrants as of April 1st, 2025, according to data from the Ministry of the Interior. The figures were disclosed in response to a parliamentary question by the deputy leader of the largest opposition party AfD, MP Sebastian Münzenmaier.
88.3% of the individuals with outstanding warrants are non-German citizens. Roughly 17,413 of those wanted are German nationals, making up only 12% of the total. No clarification was provided about whether some of those German nationals have migration backgrounds, leaving their origins unclear. German authorities label those ‘German’ who are dual citizens, so the number could be higher if dual citizens are also accounted for.
Münzenmaier argued that the numbers expose a “structural problem with foreign crime,” not only in terms of unexecuted arrest warrants but also in the makeup of prison populations. He called for an overhaul of Germany’s immigration approach to “guarantee national security.” His party’s proposals include tighter border controls, immediate deportation of foreign offenders, withdrawal of state benefits, and—in the case of dual nationals—revoking of German citizenship. These initiatives seem to resonate with the German population, as AfD is gaining edge over the CDU, in more and more regions overtaking the governing party in popularity.
The AfD politician warned that, without strong intervention, Germany could become “Europe’s criminal haven.” He stated that the principle of an open and welcoming nation has been “distorted,” and the current lack of control over immigration is creating a “dangerous pull factor.”
