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Munich KVR Admits Data Protection Breach, Private Addresses of Migration Council Candidates Exposed
Munich, October 9, 2026 – The Munich Kreisverwaltungsreferat (KVR) has acknowledged a significant data protection breach involving the publication of private address data belonging to candidates for the Migration Advisory Board election. The incident occurred on Wednesday afternoon, October 9, 2026, when private addresses of applicants were unlawfully made public on a municipal website. The KVR expressed profound regret over the incident, stating that the data was accessible online for approximately three hours before being removed. The breach has been reported to both the municipal and Bavarian data protection commissioners.
Outdated Form Caused the Breach
According to the KVR, the error occurred during the announcement of the approved candidate lists. While the publication of private addresses was permissible in the past, a legal amendment in 2022 rendered it unlawful. The KVR attributed the breach to an outdated template form that had not incorporated this legal change. Although the new form was used for the last Migration Advisory Board election in 2023, the old, erroneous version was inadvertently saved for future elections. The exact number of affected candidates has not been disclosed by the KVR.
Increased Risk for Politically Active Individuals
The Left Party parliamentary group in the city council sharply criticized the data breach, highlighting the heightened risk for politically active individuals with a migration background. Many candidates, having been politically active and sometimes persecuted in their home countries, consider the online publication of their private addresses an “absolute nightmare,” stated Munich Left City Councilor Arif Haidary. Group leader Stefan Jagel also linked the incident to a hiring freeze within the city administration, which he believes leads to understaffing and overwork.
KVR Apologizes and Pledges Internal Improvements
One day after the incident, the KVR issued a written apology to the affected candidates. In the letter, which was obtained by BR, the department emphasized its commitment to improving internal procedures to enhance the protection of personal data in the future. City council factions were also informed prior to the apology.
About the Migration Advisory Board
The Migration Advisory Board, typically elected every six years, voluntarily represents the political interests of Munich residents without German citizenship. In 2023, the board was exceptionally elected for a three-year term to explore a potential coupling with municipal elections. However, due to the high effort and costs involved, the city council decided in 2025 to keep both elections separate. The Migration Advisory Board advises the city council and administration on issues affecting the foreign population and advocates for the legal, social, and cultural equality of Germans and non-Germans.
