The number of deportations fell during the corona pandemic – but this year more people had to leave Germany again. In 2023, 13,512 people were deported, more than in 2022 as a whole, the Interior Ministry said.
The number of deportations from Germany has increased. In the first ten months of the current year, more people have already been deported than in the entire year of 2022. This emerges from a response from the Federal Ministry of the Interior to a request from Left Party MP Clara Bünger, which is available to the “Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung” (NOZ). From January to the end of October, 13,512 people were deported from Germany; in the entire year of 2022 there were 12,945 deportations.
However, the level before the corona pandemic has not yet been reached again; in 2019, 22,097 people were deported from Germany. According to the report, there have been significantly fewer deportations in recent years, mainly because of the pandemic: in 2021 there were 11,982 people and in 2020 there were 10,800 people.
According to information from the Federal Ministry of the Interior, the Federal Police registered 23,872 voluntary departures in the same period from January to the end of October this year. Most returnees were Turkish nationals, followed by Albanian, Macedonian and Georgian citizens.
The target states were Austria and Georgia
One of the most important destination states for deportations this year was the EU country Austria. The deportations to Austria are likely to involve people who have to go through their asylum procedure because of a previous stay there. According to the so-called Dublin Regulation, asylum seekers should be registered where they first entered the European Union.
German authorities also deported many people to Georgia, North Macedonia, Moldova and Albania. These countries are considered safe countries of origin or safe third countries. The increase in deportations to Turkey is particularly clear. From January to the end of October, 744 people were deported there, and in 2022 as a whole there were 515 deportations.
Bünger insists on a permanent right to remain
Left Party MP Bünger criticized the increase in deportations. “In concrete terms, this means that more and more people are being forced back against their will to countries where they are threatened with war, arbitrary detention, torture, extreme poverty or a lack of prospects,” she told the “Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung”.
In your opinion, it would be much better to give these people the path to permanent residency. Bünger called the increase in deportations to Turkey particularly worrying.
Toleration prevents deportations
People whose asylum application is rejected or who do not have the right to reside in Germany for other reasons must leave the country within a short period of time. However, many of them have a tolerated permit and cannot be deported.
There may be family, humanitarian or health reasons for this. An unclear identity or the refusal of the country of origin to take back nationals also stand in the way of deportation.
The number of people required to leave the country is currently declining. According to the Central Register of Foreigners, 250,749 people were required to leave the country at the end of October this year, of which 201,084 had a toleration permit. Last August, the number of people required to leave the country was still around 262,000.