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11h ago

Germany Ran Secret Intelligence Checks on 2,500+ Public-Funding Applicants, Interior Data Show

The secret query system is fueling demands for a clear legal basis.

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Tausende NGO stehen unter Beobachtung des Verfassungsschutzes. Symbolbild: picture alliance / PIC ONE | Ben Kriemann
Ein Mann und eine Frau im Gespräch

Overview

  • Between 2020 and 2024, authorities screened 1,250 NGOs and 1,296 individuals under the Haber procedure.
  • In 210 cases the intelligence service reported relevant findings, and the Interior Ministry recommended denying the funding.
  • Ministries and federal bodies, including the Chancellery and BAMF, can request these checks with no concrete suspicion and without notifying applicants.
  • Use of the mechanism has grown sharply, from about 50 documented checks through 2018 to roughly 330 in 2018–2019 and more than 2,500 in 2020–2024.
  • Family Minister Karin Prien said in August she launched a broad review of thousands of democracy-promotion projects, drawing criticism from opponents such as Left party lawmaker Clara Bünger.