With less than a month to go before the 2024 UEFA European Championships, Germany is significantly ramping up its security measures. The host nation will be responsible for safeguarding approximately 2.7 million fans, 24 team base camps, and ten stadiums where 51 matches will take place from June 14 to July 14. Additionally, designated fan zones are projected to attract around 12 million visitors.
To bolster security efforts, Germany has enlisted 300 security experts from all participating nations to join the International Police Cooperation Centre (IPCC) in Neuss. These experts will work alongside German officials, Europol, and UEFA representatives in a 500-square-metre conference room outfitted with 129 computers and a 40-square-metre screen. The collaborative team will take turns monitoring the situation on the ground, ensuring that security remains a top priority.
The British government has prohibited over 1,600 English and Welsh supporters with stadium bans due to prior violent behavior from traveling to Germany during the tournament. Despite these measures, over 300,000 fans from the UK, including supporters of England and Scotland, are anticipated to attend.
Germany is instituting stringent security controls at all nine of its borders, and police leave has been suspended during the tournament. A spokesman for the German interior ministry confirmed that federal police will increase their presence on trains, in stations, and at airports. Additionally, French gendarmes will join German police in patrolling rail routes to and from France and at matches involving the French team.
Enhanced security will be provided for the Ukrainian national team, as stated by German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser. Between 800 and 1,300 police officers will be stationed around each stadium per match, based on the teams playing. To prevent the entry of weapons or explosives, three security perimeters will be established around each stadium. Vehicles will be checked at the first barrier, bags will be searched at the second, and tickets will be scanned at the third.
Fan zones, particularly the largest one at Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate, pose additional security challenges due to the large crowds they attract. Johannes Saal, a security expert at the University of Lucerne, pointed out that such “soft targets” are more vulnerable to infiltration and potential attacks. In response, Germany plans to heighten security and surveillance measures in these areas.
The German army will oversee air security from the National Air Security Center, located about 70 kilometers from the IPCC. Drones will be closely monitored, with flight restrictions in place to prevent unauthorized use.
Germany’s message is clear: those not attending for the love of football should stay home, as the nation commits to ensuring the safety of all participants and fans during the championship.