In October, 6,889 people were stopped at the border

Police patrolling Germany’s borders detected 6,889 unauthorized entry attempts in October, the German Federal Police said in a press release on Friday.

The figure is very similar to the number of people stopped in September. From March to August, the number was between 7,000 and 7,800 each month, with fewer in January (6,906) and February (5,998), according to the Federal Police.

Whether the decline over the past two months is related to the decision by the German Interior Ministry to expand border checks at all of Germany’s land borders in mid-September to curb illegal migration remains to be seen.

Previously, the police carried out checks on Germany’s borders with Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria and Switzerland, officially on a temporary basis. Checks at the land borders with Denmark, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg are new.

Germany and all its neighbors are members of the Schengen area, which usually means that people can cross borders without any visas or checks. Schengen rules allow countries to resume checks on a temporary basis.

Germany’s border controls are limited to six months, but can be extended. For example, controls along Germany’s border with Austria were first introduced on a temporary basis in 2015, but have remained in place ever since.

Federal police registered a total of 71,181 people who crossed the border illegally this year, according to the statement. During the same period last year, there were 112,201 of them.

People who try to enter the country without permission are usually turned back, but if they apply for asylum, they can stay in Germany until their case is resolved. Asylum seekers are usually taken to a reception point.