German Federal Ministry of the Interior

The Federal Ministry of the Interior is a cabinet ministry of the Federal Republic of Germany, headquartered in Berlin and led by a federal minister who is a member of the government. Its responsibilities have at times been combined with related portfolios such as building or community affairs. The ministry oversees domestic policy areas including internal security, federal-level policing, civil protection, public administration, and matters relating to citizenship, residence, and asylum. It supervises subordinate federal authorities that handle migration and refugee procedures and federal policing. In Germany's federal system, many functions are carried out by the states, so the ministry sets federal policy and coordinates with state authorities. Its competences are defined by the Basic Law and federal statutes.