The focus of the congress was the exchange with national and international experts on the phenomenon of "clan crime". Experts from theory and practice came together in Düsseldorf to discuss strategies for combating the phenomenon and the current state of research. Syrian clan structures were also on the agenda.
Interior Minister Herbert Reul: "The big illegal business of clans does not stop at national borders. The problem of the criminal activities of clans is a problem that affects us all: the law enforcement authorities in Europe, but first and foremost the citizens we want to protect. The congress also serves to create a platform for discussion where the security authorities can exchange strategies and experiences on the phenomenon of "clan crime"."
More than 150 national and international experts from national and international security agencies and authorities took part in the congress. In addition to numerous specialist presentations, networking and personal exchanges were also on the agenda. Among others, the Sicherheitskooperation Ruhr presented itself from North Rhine-Westphalia.
Europol sent an expert to present the situation regarding clan crime across Europe. A representative of the Swedish police gave an insight into the strategies for combating clan criminals in Sweden as well as various prevention programs that are running in major Swedish cities. The North Rhine-Westphalian drop-out program "Kurve kriegen" ("Turn the corner") was only launched in Sweden in September under the name "Rätt Kurva". A representative of the public prosecutor's office in Rotterdam provided insights into the fight against Albanian crime in the Netherlands. Syrian clan structures were also discussed. An expert from the State Office of Criminal Investigation presented initial research findings on new and old clan structures.
Herbert Reul emphasized: "With regard to the current discussion about migrants: We need to know who we are taking in. And we must be careful that history does not repeat itself. There must be no room for illegal parallel structures with their own norms and values. That is why we are carefully analyzing the current situation of people who have come to us as a result of the war in Syria, for example. It is important to me to take a close look at possible Syrian clan structures at an early stage."
The current Clan Crime Situation Report 2022 for North Rhine-Westphalia can be found here: https://polizei.nrw/artikel/lagebild-clankriminalitaet