- More refugees at the exit point at BER airport
At the central immigration collection point of the Central Immigration Authority at Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER), the number of refugees to be deported from Brandenburg is increasing. In the first half of 2024, 396 people were to be flown out to their countries of origin or to the countries where they first applied for asylum upon entering the EU. This was reported by the Ministry of the Interior in Potsdam in response to a request from SPD state parliamentarian Tina Fischer. In the first half of 2023, there were only 168 people, but in the second half, the number rose to 231.
The refugees to be deported from Brandenburg did not meet the requirements for an asylum procedure in Germany because they had entered from a safe third country or had already applied for asylum in another EU country. Others had no right to residence or were in deportation detention because their asylum application had been rejected and they were obliged to leave. The Ministry of the Interior assured that those in deportation detention were allowed to leave the country voluntarily. According to the information, there were eleven charter flights last year, and there have been five so far this year.
The Jesuit Refugee Service is currently handling the asylum procedures and also providing social and pastoral care. If necessary, social workers or psychologists from the Brandenburg Central Immigration Authority can also be involved. After their asylum application is rejected, all residents are given a list of lawyers. The list is announced in several languages in the accommodation. Upon admission to the deportation detention, there is a conversation with a sufficiently trained employee of the Central Immigration Authority. In appropriate cases, they can request support from the Psychosocial Service of the Immigration Authority.
Meanwhile, construction of the controversial refugee entry and exit center at Berlin Brandenburg Airport is scheduled to begin in the first half of next year, according to the Ministry of the Interior. It will be built near the existing building of the Central Immigration Authority at the airport, provided that the building plan is approved by the municipality and a building permit is issued. The aim is for the center to be operational by the end of 2027.
Response to Inquiry
The refugees scheduled for deportation in the coming half of 2024 will be departing from Berlin Brandenburg Airport BER. Despite a significant increase in the number of deportations compared to the previous year, the Jesuit Refugee Service continues to assist with asylum procedures and provide support at Berlin Brandenburg Airport BER.
