From January to September, around 17,600 people were deported, about 2,900 more than in the same period last year. German federal states are pushing for more consistent deportations, including to Afghanistan and Syria, reports Die Welt.
Germany is mass-expelling foreigners
From January to September this year, 17,651 people were deported to their countries of origin, the German Ministry of the Interior reported in response to an inquiry from the Left parliamentary group. Almost one in five deportees (3,095) was a child or teenager.
In the first three quarters of 2024, the number of deportations was 14,706. During the same period in 2023, there were 12,042 cases, and 9,567 in 2022.
According to the government’s response, the most frequently deported this year were citizens of Turkey and Georgia, with 1,614 and 1,379 people respectively. Following them were countries such as Spain, France, Serbia, Bulgaria, and Albania. The first to report this was the newspaper Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung.
The significant increase in deportations results from the active measures of Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) and the implementation of the coalition agreement between the Christian Democrats and Social Democrats. The CDU/CSU and SPD coalition intends, among other things, to eliminate the mandatory lawyer during deportation-related detentions. Police will receive more powers, and individuals deemed a threat or perpetrators of serious crimes may be placed in permanent detention until expulsion. This also involves a planned significant increase in the number of places in deportation centers.
Deportations also to Syria and Afghanistan
Clara Bünger, a member of the Left party, sharply criticized the current situation, calling it a consequence of inhumane policy. “Authorities now almost have no reservations when it comes to increasing the number of deportations“, she said.
Bünger reminded that in Turkey, “leftists, Kurds, and opposition members are repressed“, yet the German government sees no obstacle to sending people there. “This policy undermines human dignity, spreads fear among people with uncertain residency status, and in no way makes life in Germany better or safer“, Bünger emphasized.
Meanwhile, German federal states unanimously support deportations to Afghanistan and Syria, promoted by Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU). They call on the federal government to regularly deport criminals and people posing potential threats to Afghanistan and Syria, according to a resolution adopted on Friday by the Conference of Prime Ministers (MPK) in Mainz.
In September, the portal Euronews reported that around 1.3 million Syrian refugees or asylum seekers are in the European Union, mainly in Germany, Sweden, and Austria. The desire among Syrians living in Europe to leave is very low.
In August, the German Ministry of the Interior reported that since the overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad in December last year, only 1,337 Syrians living in Germany have returned to Syria under voluntary official programs.