Thirty-six individuals seeking asylum were sent back to Macedonia and Serbia.
A charter flight took off from Hamburg Airport, bound for Serbia and North Macedonia, carrying 36 individuals whose asylum requests had been denied. This development aligns with a rising trend of expulsions from Germany. As reported by Bild newspaper, the flight was arranged by Schleswig-Holstein's state administration and included a group of individuals with past criminal convictions. Adding to this, seven individuals from Hamburg who were due to be deported were also onboard. These two Balkan countries have played host to the highest number of deportations so far this year.
In August, a plane carrying 28 individuals who had been convicted of crimes departed from Germany and headed for Kabul, marking the first such deportation to Afghanistan since the Taliban took power.
The number of people being expelled from Germany has significantly risen this year. According to data from the Federal Interior Ministry, around 9,500 people were sent back during the first half of 2024, in comparison to 7,861 in the same period the previous year, and a total of 16,430 in 2023, and nearly 13,000 in 2022.
Hamburg has seen approximately 1,100 people returned home by the end of August, marking the highest figure since 2016. The authority recorded about 1,500 returns in its entirety for the previous year. The Interior Authority revealed that Hamburg utilizes the joint deportation detention center situated in Glückstadt, Schleswig-Holstein.
The rise in expulsions from Germany is being overseen by various authorities, such as Schleswig-Holstein's state administration, as demonstrated by the charter flight organized by them. The Commission, being a part of the German government, has a role in managing these deportations, ensuring compliance with national and international laws.
