From immigration and asylum policy to civil defence and disaster control: the 47 members of the Committee on Internal Affairs deal with a wide range of policy issues. In its work, it attempts to reconcile internal security for the community with civil rights for the individual. Apart from the parliamentary scrutiny of the Federal Ministry of the Interior and Community and its subordinate federal authorities, it also prepares important legislative projects before they are put to the vote in the plenary. Furthermore, it conducts hearings in order to gather detailed information on relevant subjects from expert witnesses.