According to the Federal Ministry of the Interior, in the summer of 2026 around 148,000 people were listed with outstanding arrest warrants in the central police register, INPOL.
Of these, 87.3 per cent were foreign nationals or of unknown nationality. 11.2 per cent held only a German passport, and 1.5 per cent held dual nationality; that is, German combined with another.
Maghreb, MENA and Eastern Europe
The figures stem from a parliamentary question tabled by AfD MP Sebastian Münzenmaier. As of 1 July, according to INPOL, there were outstanding national arrest warrants for 148,311 people. Some individuals had multiple arrest warrants outstanding, so the total number of warrants was around 170,000.
Among the nationalities, the Maghreb countries, the MENA region and Eastern Europe, in addition to Germans, are the most strongly represented.
According to the authorities, the figures represent a snapshot; new arrest warrants are issued continuously, whilst others are executed or cancelled. In 2025, slightly more warrants were executed than new ones were registered.
The proportion of Germans is higher amongst newly issued warrants than amongst outstanding warrants. This is explained by the fact that Germans are easier to track down because they have stronger ties to the country, whilst many wanted foreigners are outside Germany or living in hiding.
A real security challenge
The Police Federation, as well as politicians across the political spectrum, believe that the large number of unfulfilled arrest warrants represents a real security challenge.
The AfD has used the figures to criticise migration policy and call for stricter border controls, the swifter deportation of foreign criminals and for sentences to be served in their home countries. Representatives from the CDU/CSU have also expressed concern and pointed out that the border controls introduced in 2024 have led to more people with arrest warrants being apprehended. There is agreement that the figures confirm that the German police and judicial system are facing major difficulties in enforcing court rulings.
