Examination by federal states: deportation to Russia?

After Russia’s attack on Ukraine, deportations were initially ruled out. But the first federal states are now examining returns to Russia.

Everything was prepared for the deportation. And so the procedure took its course a year ago. However, that Thursday, February 24, 2022, was not an ordinary day – this morning Russia launched its war of aggression against Ukraine. The deportation to Russia was to remain the only one carried out by Baden-Württemberg in the past year in the Russian Federation.

In fact, corresponding plans were put on hold in the federal states that are basically responsible for returns. The federal government, which is repeatedly involved through the Federal Office for Migration (BAMF) or the Federal Police, issued a refusal a few weeks ago: “For purely practical reasons, deportation to Russia is currently not possible,” said a spokeswoman of the Federal Ministry of the Interior.

According to information from WDR and NDR However, several federal states are now examining deportations to Russia. According to a survey, these include Bavaria, Hesse and Saxony-Anhalt. According to the research, there are indications that other countries are apparently pursuing similar plans – but they were reluctant to comment on official requests. Other states such as North Rhine-Westphalia, Schleswig-Holstein or Thuringia explicitly stated that they did not check.

From security circles it is said that especially so-called endangerers and offenders would be considered for repatriation. This means that the efforts are currently mainly related to individual cases.

Bayern “continuously examines the possibilities”

According to its own statements, Bavaria had already deported six people in 2022 by the outbreak of war. Since then, according to the Bavarian Ministry of the Interior, Russian nationals have been returned – not to their country of origin, but to other countries in the European Union. Other measures should have been canceled due to the “current and ongoing situation”. Officially, it now says: “The State Office for Asylum and Repatriations is continuously examining the possibilities and is pursuing current plans.”

Saxony-Anhalt states that the EU’s repatriation agreement with the Russian Federation is still valid. Some of the Russian nationals who are obliged to leave the country are criminals who “have been sentenced to lengthy prison terms for serious crimes”. There are “no deportation bans” for them. The ministry therefore explains: “Repatriation is being examined.” Such a measure serves “in particular to avert danger”.

According to the Ministry of the Interior in Hesse, it is also exploring possibilities: “With regard to prioritized individual cases related to security, Hesse has contacted the federal government in order to have possible repatriation options checked and identified from there.” So far, however, there has been no “positive feedback or possible courses of action”.

The federal government apparently considers efforts to be understandable

The federal government considers the efforts of the federal states to be understandable, according to security circles. In fact, the coalition agreement speaks of a “repatriation offensive” – ​​especially with regard to the deportation of criminals and dangerous people, i.e. people whom the police believe are capable of serious, politically motivated acts of violence at any time.

Politicians and authorities are faced with a challenge: more than half of those who are currently at risk or relevant persons who are legally obliged to leave the country are Syrians, Russian nationals or Afghans. Deportations to these three countries are currently hardly possible for various reasons. Internally, the Federal Ministry of the Interior had shown itself to be open to possible deportations with a view to Afghan threats or criminals – but what about Russia?

A spokesman explains that against the background of the war, no return measures to Russia are currently being supported. However, the responsibility for enforcement lies with the respective state authorities. In addition, it says restrictively: The Federal Ministry of the Interior reserves the right to contact the Russian side in individual cases and in coordination with the Federal Foreign Office, especially in the case of criminals and dangerous people.

According to security circles, the federal government is already pointing out a special circumstance to the federal states: Russia has promised criminals freedom if they go to the front in Ukraine to fight. One must therefore expect that deportees will turn up there.

Repatriation by land?

In any case, repatriations to Russia do not seem impossible – even if, according to the Federal Ministry of the Interior, there are currently no direct flight connections and charter flights are excluded due to the sanctions imposed. In the federal states it is said that in the past not only the air route was chosen. Exactly this possibility continues to exist: deportations overland.

In contrast to Afghanistan or Syria, according to representatives of the authorities, there have been established contacts to Russia in the deportation area for years. An official who is in a leading position in this area apparently took this task so seriously that he also maintained private contacts with Russian security authorities. In the past, this was probably often very helpful for regressions.

But then Russia invaded Ukraine. When the man was asked to deal with the effects of the war, the Interior Ministry preferred to pull the handbrake – it is said that they wanted to protect him from possible conflicts. The officer is now continuing to deal with repatriations.