Relocation of people or animals between distinct geographical regions. - Approximately 40 serious offenders may be removed from the country.
The officials in Baden-Württemberg identify 41 Afghans and 4 Syrians as "dangerous foreigners" who need to be expelled immediately. This expulsion is legally mandatory, but it cannot happen since the federal government hasn't approved it yet. "A deportation hasn't been possible so far as the federal government doesn't currently support deportation flights to Afghanistan," the ministry commented in Stuttgart on Friday. The public broadcaster SWR previously reported on this in their show "Zur Sache Baden-Württemberg".
In the past year, 2099 individuals were deported, with 818 of them having been convicted criminals. For the current year, up to May, there were 1128 cases, and 324 of them were convicted criminals.
Justice Minister Marion Gentges (CDU) has advocated for harsher deportations to war-torn countries for quite some time. While the Geneva Refugee Convention does prohibit deportations, she claims that an individual can't utilize this defense if they've committed grave offenses in the host country. This was the case of a convicted rapist from Illerkirchberg (Alb-Donau-District), who was slated for deportation to Afghanistan, Gentges asserts. The government, thus far, has rejected this and cites the fact that deportations to Afghanistan have been suspended since August 2021 as a result of the chaotic security situation there.
Following the most recent lethal stabbing attack in Mannheim, there are renewed discussions about more rigid deportations. Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) desires to allow the deportation of serious criminals to Afghanistan and Syria again, according to what he's said. The Federal Interior Ministry is devising the practical aspects and has already initiated conversations with the neighboring countries of Afghanistan, Olaf Scholz disclosed on Thursday in his government announcement.
The Refugee Council Baden-Württemberg opposes this stance: "Naturally, individuals who commit crimes should be held accountable," said its co-managing director Anja Bartel. However, crimes committed in Germany ought to be penalized within the German justice system, not through deportation. "In a nation of law, human rights also extend to criminals," Bartel affirmed. On the contrary, in Afghanistan, the Taliban govern and human rights violations are prevalent.
Read also:
- The officials in Baden-Württemberg aim to deport 41 Afghans and 4 Syrians classified as "dangerous foreigners," a move that would happen in Baden-Württemberg, if approved by the federal government.
- Marion Gentges, the Justice Minister of Baden-Württemberg, supports harsher deportations to war-torn countries like Afghanistan, even for individuals convicted of serious crimes, a stance that has been met with opposition from groups like the Refugee Council Baden-Württemberg.
- The suspension of deportations to Afghanistan, a result of the chaotic security situation there, has been a subject of contention in the case of a convicted rapist from Illerkirchberg (Alb-Donau-District), whose deportation was advocated by Gentges.
- The public broadcaster SWR reports on the ongoing debates around deportations in Baden-Württemberg, highlighting the issue's complexity and the contrasting viewpoints of various stakeholders, including politicians, legal experts, and refugee advocacy groups.
- The violent knife attack in Mannheim has reignited discussions around more stringent deportations, with Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz expressing support for allowing the deportation of serious offenders to countries like Afghanistan and Syria, and the Federal Interior Ministry actively exploring practical implementation options in collaboration with neighboring countries.
