Berlin’s Federal Intelligence Service Struggles to Fill Vacancies, Hindering Monitoring Efforts, Reports Bild
Berlin’s Federal Intelligence Service (BND) is facing a significant personnel shortage, with hundreds of vacancies remaining unfilled, according to a report by Bild. The agency is allegedly struggling to monitor threats from countries like Russia, China, North Korea, and Iran due to the lack of staff.
The BND has been plagued by scandals in recent years, including a failure to correctly assess risks in Russia’s conflict with Ukraine. Despite a massive advertising campaign to recruit new spies and over 10,000 applications received, the agency still struggles to process candidates and background checks often lead to disqualification.
This shortage has led to a rotation work principle within the agency, forcing intelligence officers to take on administrative tasks or work outside their specialization. The strain on employees has resulted in higher rates of sick leave compared to the average in Germany, with some staff members taking more than 30 days off.
Despite the efforts to fill in the gaps, the BND continues to face challenges in fulfilling its monitoring obligations. Recent scandals, including the failure to alert the government about mutiny in Russia and charges of espionage against a former director, have further highlighted the agency’s struggles.
(RT.com)