Berlin Police Are Struggling to Find Enough German-Speaking Recruits Amid Surge in Migrant Applications

Berlin is struggling to recruit enough German-speaking police officers amid a surge of migrant applicants.

The president of the city’s police force Barbara Slowik Meisel revealed that 40 per cent of applicants failed a German language skills test.

She said that this had created a dilemma for her and the force, as the city is in dire need of new cops but cannot afford to lower its standards.

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She said that around a quarter of 1,200 entry level positions have been left unfilled since 2025, adding: ‘We are facing extremely fierce competition for suitable applicants, and the emphasis is on suitable.’

Figures showed that of the 240 cadets who began training in spring 2025, more than half required additional tutoring in German.

Berlin has the highest proportion of officers from a migrant background of any force in Germany at 37%.

Applicants must pass a writing test on a computer, as well as a dictation test and a test of their German grammar skills.

They must also prove they have a solid understanding of Germany’s core legal principles and be able to explain them to the public.

The debate over migration and the role it plays in the country has become more and more heated, particularly in the leadup to key elections in the east next month.

Earlier this year, illegal immigration in Germany dropped to its lowest level in more than a decade, barring the first year of the pandemic.

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