Berlin: Germany has launched a new outreach effort aimed at people living in the country who have fled governments such as Russia, China and Iran and fear that they could still be targeted by the authorities they left behind.
The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, Germany’s domestic intelligence agency, is encouraging dissidents, journalists, activists and other people who may be at risk to report threats, suspicious approaches and attempts at intimidation. The initiative is designed to help people who may feel unsafe even after finding refuge in Germany.
German authorities are increasingly concerned that political repression does not stop when people cross an international border. Foreign governments can continue to monitor opponents living abroad, put pressure on their relatives, attempt to collect information about them or use other methods to discourage them from speaking publicly.
The new effort is particularly significant because Germany has become home to large communities of people who have left countries where political opposition is heavily restricted. Some Russian opponents of the Kremlin, Chinese dissidents and Iranian critics have continued their political and journalistic activities after arriving in Germany. This has made them potential targets for foreign intelligence services and other groups acting on behalf of authoritarian governments.
The German intelligence agency has published information explaining how people can seek help if they believe they are being watched, threatened or approached by a foreign intelligence service. Officials are also interested in receiving information that could help them identify foreign networks operating inside Germany.
The initiative comes as Germany faces growing concerns about espionage and foreign interference. Russia has been a particular focus of German security officials since the start of the war in Ukraine. German authorities have investigated suspected Russian espionage operations, sabotage activities and attempts to influence political debates.
The concern extends beyond Russia. Germany has also paid increasing attention to the activities of Chinese and Iranian authorities outside their own countries. Critics of these governments can remain under pressure after moving overseas, particularly when their families or other close relatives continue to live in their countries of origin.
Chinese dissidents in Europe have previously reported surveillance and intimidation linked to their political activities. Iranian opposition figures living abroad have also faced concerns about threats and attempts to silence them. German officials therefore see the protection of vulnerable exile communities as part of the wider effort to defend the country against foreign interference.
The move also comes as Germany prepares to strengthen the powers available to its intelligence agencies. The government has been working on reforms that would give security services greater ability to respond to foreign threats, including hostile cyber operations and activities carried out through foreign intelligence networks.
Supporters of the reforms argue that Germany needs stronger tools because the nature of modern espionage has changed. Foreign governments can now use digital surveillance, cyberattacks, disinformation campaigns and covert networks alongside traditional intelligence operations.
However, the planned expansion of intelligence powers has also raised concerns among civil rights groups and political opponents. They argue that stronger surveillance and technical powers must be accompanied by clear legal limits, independent oversight and strong protections for privacy.
The new outreach programme therefore comes at a sensitive moment for Germany. Authorities want people who have escaped authoritarian governments to feel confident that they can report threats without fear. At the same time, intelligence officials want to learn more about how foreign governments operate inside Germany.
For people who have fled political repression, the message from Berlin is clear. Reaching Germany may provide safety and freedom, but foreign pressure can still follow them across borders.
German authorities now want those people to speak up when they notice suspicious activity or feel threatened. Information from exile communities could help investigators identify foreign agents, understand how intimidation networks operate and prevent attacks before they happen.
The initiative reflects Germany’s changing security environment. The country is no longer looking only at traditional espionage or domestic extremism. It is increasingly concerned about foreign governments attempting to influence, intimidate or silence people on German soil.
For Berlin, protecting those communities is becoming part of a wider effort to defend Germany’s democratic system from foreign interference while maintaining the legal safeguards expected in a democratic society.