A photograph taken on June 7, 2023, shows a tramway near the border between France and Germany in Strasbourg's harbor, eastern France. (PHOTO / AFP)

BERLIN - Germany is preparing to tighten controls along its borders to address human trafficking, Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser said here on Tuesday.

"We are also preparing additional stationary border controls," she told Deutschlandfunk radio. "And we will have to see what that brings."

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The planned new measures are most effective if they are implemented in close cooperation with the neighboring countries, Faeser added. The Czech Republic has already agreed to intensify controls together with the German Federal Police, and Poland is also expected to join them.

The number of irregular migrants entering the country surged in recent months. Between January and August, almost 71,000 unauthorized entries were registered (45,000 in the same period of 2022), the federal police said

Faeser has recently announced the government's intention to step up the fight against human trafficking. "If we catch smugglers, it will make a big difference, because right now we believe that one in four or five people comes into the country via smugglers," she said.

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During a raid early on Tuesday, the federal police discovered a large group of Syrians who were suspected of having been smuggled into Germany. Arrest warrants were issued for five suspected smugglers. Investigators seized "extensive evidence," including cell phones, SIM cards, gold worth around 220,000 euros ($233,245), and 16,000 euros in cash, the federal police said.

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The number of irregular migrants entering the country surged in recent months. Between January and August, almost 71,000 unauthorized entries were registered (45,000 in the same period of 2022), the federal police said.