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An der Grenze

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Der schonungslos ehrliche Erfahrungsbericht aus 15 Jahren Dienst bei der BundespolizeiAls Beamter der Bundespolizei riskierte er für die Sicherheit der Gesellschaft Gesundheit und Leben, sah sich mit unzähligen Straftätern und zu vielen unlösbaren moralischen Konflikten konfrontiert. Täglich setzte er sich mit den Menschen auseinander, die unerlaubt nach Deutschland einreisten. Kein wirklicher Schutz für Schutzbedürftige, kein funktionierender Umgang mit den illegal Eingereisten, verzerrte Berichterstattung in der Presse und die frappierende Diskrepanz zwischen politischem Anspruch und polizeilicher Realitä Die Folgen von Richtungslosigkeit und gravierenden Fehlern in der Migrations- und Integrationspolitik Deutschlands bestimmten seinen Alltag. Bis es zu viel wurde. Jan Solwyn quittierte nach 15 Jahren desillusioniert von der Politik den Dienst. Jetzt liefert er einen schonungslos ehrlichen Bericht.

256 pages, Paperback

Published March 1, 2025

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Jan Solwyn

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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
Profile Image for Trish.
2,409 reviews3,759 followers
March 28, 2026
The author spent 15 years in the German Bundespolizei (mixture between FBI and US Marshals). He started in Cologne/Bonn at the airport in 2011, before becoming specialized for foreign assignments and thus serving on the Greek island of Lesbos, in Ukraine, and the Near East from 2016 to 2024 (when he quit).

In this book, he talks about his personal experiences. The squalor, the audacity, the despair of people. But also how he felt when seeing and responding to it. He talks about how politicians have taken the easy way out, leaving the cops to deal with the problem despite them not having the jurisdiction to make decisions. He talks about the massive amounts of overtime, how that negatively impacts the private life of cops, but also their bodies and minds. He also talks about the unrealistic and ideological view many people have on the topic of immigration and integration.

The most heartbreaking thing, to me, was reading how disillusioned he has become. He apparently joined in order to help people. That's it. But that was stripped away, one moral dilemma at the time, and turned into a veritable nightmare.

Basically, what made him quit was the chasm between the aspiration of a reasonable, morally justifiable immigration policy and the actual day-to-day for the police affected by the high amount of crime (usually felonies even), the dysfunctionality of the system and the resulting frustrating handling of illegal immigrants. Especially the politicians' unwillingness to actually face the consequences of their wrongful decisions (or lack of any decision having been made) in order to improve the situation for everyone was what left him feeling hopeless and trapped (leading to him quitting).

The stories he told sent shivers down my spine. Like the lies told at the border regarding where any given migrant was from and the fact that the police had to accept the lies despite the translators usually even confirming the lies to be exactly that (many men from North Africa claim they are from Syria but don't speak any Syrian).
Or, worse, the story of an Algerian national named Ali A., whose asylum request was denied, but who stayed in Germany for many years nevertheless despite having committed and still committing countless crimes such as theft, dealing in drugs, assault, and even several counts of rape. When he was accidentally found and had a knife as well as drugs with him, they had to let him walk!

Especially the latter is why so many Germans are so frustrated with the situation. Nobody has anything against normal immigration, but you need to integrate, work, and accept the culture. What we're dealing with every day are mostly people who want their host country to transform according to their beliefs and wishes, and if we refuse, they drive trucks into Christmas markets, gang rape girls/women, or stab people. And after they commit their crimes, they get help from the politicians, NGOs, and other people who are too deluded by their idealism.

I fully understand the desperation and frustration amongst the cops. Just like I understand the desperation and frustration amongst the citizens. Especially since I unfortunately have personal experience in this matter. So I also know the gaslighting, getting yelled at and called names for trying to explain what has happened to me personally, to say nothing of the lack of help from the legal system.

While I find it sad that the author quit (we need good people in uniform now more than ever), I fully understand and even support his decision. And I'm grateful for his account that, while not having been "nice" to read, was a very good book.
Profile Image for reva.
42 reviews
February 22, 2026
I hate cops and this book reminds me as to why. All police see is criminals, which is why they treat absolutely everyone as such. 
Most criminals the author dealt with, he states, are foreigners from North Africa or the Middle East. I can easily believe that, but that doesn't mean the majority of them—or any migrants—is criminal.  Causality seems to be a real issue for this dude. 

He made a huge deal out of a Turkish lady who's lived in Germany for 30 years not speaking a lick of German. 
But there are several books by Arabic and Tirkish women about how their husbands brought them here and they literally aren't allowed to mix with Germans, leave the house, other than when their husbands send them somewhere, and have no free will or life. 
They are being told Germans go to hell because they're not Muslim. Imagine growing up like this. This is the only truth they know. It's cultist brainwashing by people who think their pedophile warlord "prophet" is the perfect human being and God's chosen one. 
So to have a go at the women, who very often are victims as well, is just insane and short-sighted to me. 

It's not as if the author doesn't have a point about this country being broken in terms of failed integration and the fact that migrants aren't sent back to where they came from due to the "Duldungsstatus" (legal tolerance of their staying although they are legally required to leave the country after their application for asylum was rejected). 
Germany needs an overhaul of how to deal with immigrants and their integration policies and measures. 

In any case, police are among the rudest and most aggressive people in Germany, and yes, the majority is absolutely racist. 
The author denies this while literally saying color and ethnicity never mattered to him because all his friends are white. Lmao! I just can't even! 
This is exactly the issue with racists. A large part of them doesn't even know that they are racists. 😂 

He's sooo proud of himself how he "ridiculed and verbally fucked up" a Turkish teen who had shouted ACAB at him and writes about how he "entertained" his colleagues with that story. Then he laments how these poor cops are always viewed and treated so badly by the average Joe. Gee, I wonder why. 

The book read as very self-martyring, -glorifying, and -righteous. It was incredibly verbose and self-indulgent. Does the guy really wonder why the police is so deeply hated and feared??? Whew. 
4 reviews
December 31, 2025
A collection of experiences of a German State Police Officer through his 15 year career working at German and EU borders.

Extremely interesting to read about this, I think medially underrepresented, perspective and shocking, how the perspective of a law enforcement officer differs starkly from the perspective portrayed in the media and political debate.
Profile Image for Alphapaka.
109 reviews
October 8, 2025
Solwyns macht als Ex-Bundespolizist mit vielen konkreten Beispielen den Kontrollverlust sichtbar, der in der Migrationsdebatte meist seltsam abstrakt bleibt. Seine Sorge um den Vertrauensverlust in die Demokratie und einen funktionierenden Rechtsstaat kann ich nur teilen.
Profile Image for Michael.
92 reviews1 follower
November 23, 2025
Eine notwendige Perspektive, und ich frage mich, warum es so lange gedauert hat, bis mal ein "Aktiver" Tacheles spricht. Im Kern reiht Solwyn viele Beispiele aus der eigenen Polizeiarbeit aneinander, die deutlich machen, wie ein vollständiger Kontrollverlust über die Einwanderung nach Deutschland - und in die EU - entstehen konnte. Solwyn ist dabei erfreulich sachlich, selbst wenn sich einem beim Lesen zuweilen die Haare sträuben angesichts des dilettantischen Illusionismus, den die deutsche Politik betreibt. Meine Sympathien für die osteuropäischen Länder sind jedenfalls gestiegen... Was vielleicht noch gefehlt hätte, wäre eine statistische Einordnung der delikthaften "Nofris" - die sind zwar sehr sichtbar im Alltag und auch für die Polizei, aber die organisierte Kriminalität in diesem Bereich ('Ndrangheta, Bulgarien, etc.) dürfte in einer ganz anderen Größenordnung spielen und das Geschilderte sich etwas relativieren.
Ich sollte hinzufügen, dass meine Frau (seit über 20 Jahren Psychotherapeutin) das Buch sehr anders bewertet. Für sie ist Solwyn ein aggressiv auftretender, machtbewusster junger Mann, der durch sein Verhalten oftmals entsprechende Reaktionen provoziert. Er hat immerhin schon mehrere (private) Schlägereien hinter sich und macht privat... natürlich Kickboxen. Sie sieht Mängel in der Einstellung, in der Polizisten insgesamt den Staat repräsentieren und klare Anzeichen von Ausbildungsschwächen und Überforderung. Dass Migranten alle Möglichkeiten dieses Staates bis hin zum Betrügerischen zu ihrem Vorteil ausnutzen, hält sie für selbstverständlich und zutiefst menschlich. Der größte Fehler liege dann darin, sich davon persönlich provozieren zu lassen. Das Buch hat bei uns auf jeden Fall eine Debatte angestoßen.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews