The Berlin police find themselves in a dilemma, as the sharp rise in applicants with a migrant background is accompanied by high failure rates in German language examinations, leaving hundreds of permanent positions vacant.
The language «thorn»
The chief of police in the German capital, Barbara Slowik Meisel, revealed that 40% of applicants fail the German language tests.
This creates a serious problem for the service, as the city has an immediate need for new police officers, but leadership refuses to lower standards.
«We have candidates, but we also have high standards that we cannot lower. [As police officers] we are obliged to explain our police actions day by day... and potentially record things in writing», she stated to local media.
She added that 25% of the 1,200 entry-level positions remain «vacant» since 2025.
«We face extremely fierce competition for suitable candidates, and the emphasis is on the word «suitable»», she noted characteristically.
Data shows that of the 240 trainees who began their training in the spring of 2025, more than half required supplementary remedial instruction in German.
It is noted that Berlin has the highest proportion of police officers with a migrant background in all of Germany, reaching 37%.
To be admitted, applicants must pass a written test (spelling) as well as a grammar test.
At the same time, they are required to demonstrate that they understand the laws of Germany and that they are in a position to explain them to the public.
Migration
The debate surrounding migration and its role in the country has intensified, particularly ahead of critical election contests in eastern states next month.
Earlier this year, irregular migration to Germany dropped to its lowest level in eleven years, with the exception of the first year of the pandemic.
These figures were recorded under Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who took office last May promising stricter border controls.
From January to November 2025, 106,298 first-time asylum applications were recorded by the national agency BAMF, heading toward the lowest annual total since 2013. In 2024, this number was more than double, reaching 229,751.
Last year, federal police recorded 62,526 irregular entries, which is half compared to 2023.
Nearly 75% of the 33,000 individuals who attempted to cross the border between May and December were either denied entry or, in 58 cases, escorted back to the other side.
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