Germany’s intelligence services opened a hotline for emigrants from Russia, China, and Iran fearing persecution

Germany’s domestic intelligence service, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), has opened a hotline for emigrants and refugees from authoritarian countries such as China, Russia, and Iran, the Reuters news agency reported, citing a 16-page brochure from the agency.

The brochure says the hotline is intended mainly for people who face or could face threats, surveillance, repression, or kidnapping attempts — journalists, dissidents, and members of the LGBTQ+ community.

Information received through the hotline, the brochure says, could help Germany’s intelligence services prevent specific threats.

The brochure’s authors wrote, “Through both its own investigations and information provided by the individuals concerned, the domestic ​intelligence service is ​able to track ⁠down those responsible.” Reuters did not disclose the hotline’s phone number in its report.

As Reuters notes, the emergence of such a “hotline” comes amid ongoing discussions in Germany about granting broader powers to the intelligence services.

In August 2026, Germany’s government approved a package of reforms drafted by the German Interior Ministry that significantly expands the powers of the Federal Intelligence Service (BND) and the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV). Among the main changes is the transfer of operational powers to German intelligence agencies, allowing them not only to gather information and conduct surveillance but also, in cases of especially serious threats, to intervene directly, Deutsche Welle wrote. Agents will gain the ability to carry out hacking attacks, deliberately spread false information, destroy infrastructure deemed a threat, and take other measures in the interest of national defense. The bill must now be approved by the Bundestag.