Struggle against the dual governance arrangement
In a recent development, the federal states of Lower Saxony and Hamburg are contemplating the inclusion of dual nationalities in their crime statistics, following the lead of North Rhine-Westphalia. However, both states have set conditions for their participation.
Daniela Behrens, the Interior Minister of Lower Saxony, expressed scepticism about the added value of recording multiple citizenships for police work. She criticised the practice of recording multiple citizenships of suspects in crime statistics. On the other hand, Hamburg's Interior Minister, Andy Grote, has agreed to consider recording dual nationalities, but only if all other federal states also join in.
The first federal state to record dual citizenships in its crime statistics is North Rhine-Westphalia, with Interior Minister Herbert Reul announcing that the recording will be done retroactively from July 1st. This move was met with responses from various parties, including the Hamburg Interior Authority, who did not express support or criticism for the practice but maintained silence on the potential insight and added value for police work, as well as the potential indications of potential flight risk and escape possibilities in relation to detention grounds.
The Police Hamburg advocates for uniform data recording in the police crime statistics nationwide to avoid double counting and ensure nationwide comparability. The specific condition under which Hamburg would join North Rhine-Westphalia in recording dual nationalities remains unspecified.
It is important to note that prior to this announcement, the recording of multiple citizenships was not planned in any federal state. In people with German and another citizenship, only the German one is recorded in the nationwide statistics.
The Hamburg Interior Authority, represented by spokesman Daniel Schaefer, made statements in response to the announcement by North Rhine-Westphalia. Schaefer stated that Hamburg has not ruled out the future recording of multiple citizenships. However, the authority did not comment on the potential importance of multiple citizenships from a criminalistic point of view, as stated by Daniela Behrens.
In summary, Lower Saxony and Hamburg are considering joining North Rhine-Westphalia in recording dual nationalities in their crime statistics, but with conditions. The specific conditions and the potential benefits and drawbacks of this practice are still under discussion among the parties involved.
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