BERLIN, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- Almost 180 people had been prevented from illegally re-entering Germany since stricter border controls had been implemented in November, the German Interior Ministry announced on Wednesday.
Since November, German police had detained around 250 people in the country's border areas, said the ministry.
"These results show that a strong police presence in the border areas is necessary to ensure the security of our population," Interior Minister Horst Seehofer said at a press conference with President of Federal Police Dieter Romann.
According to Romann, most arrests for illegal re-entry had occurred along the borders with France and Austria.
The Interior Ministry said the arrest figures indicated the urgent need for action at a European level. Countries at the European Union's external borders should be supported in protecting their borders and controlling migration flows.
Seehofer pledged that Germany was "prepared to provide personnel and technical equipment" to support effective external border protection, especially on the Western Balkans route.
"Freedom of movement in Europe is one of the EU's greatest achievements. But a country's security starts at the border," Seehofer added.
