Federal police told DW that German counterintelligence is conducting surveys among Russians at the Berlin airport.
This is how they responded to media reports that a number of Russians, upon their arrival at Berlin-Brandenburg Airport, were invited to a voluntary conversation with certain employees in civilian clothes. Politician Andrei Pivovarov said on November 11 that one Russian activist, after a passport control in Germany, encountered representatives of the German Federal Intelligence Service (BND), who allegedly invited her to sign a cooperation agreement.
The German Federal Police, which guards the borders and works at airports, told DW that as part of the border control they investigate citizens from third countries who arrive, but only regarding the availability of documents, the purpose of their stay and the approval of financial means.
"The calls and surveys you mentioned are not part of the border control at the entrance and are not carried out by the federal police. The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) is responsible for conducting these separate surveys. Federal police officers are not present," she added.
DW submitted a separate application to the BfV. This German intelligence service performs, in particular, counterintelligence functions; Its tasks include protecting the constitutional order against extremism, terrorism, espionage and sabotage.