BERLIN, GERMANY – Germany recorded more deportations in 2025 than in any recent year, reflecting the government’s tougher stance on migration enforcement while sparking growing concerns from opposition lawmakers and human rights advocates.
Between January and September 2025, authorities expelled 17,651 people, a figure about 20 percent higher than during the same period a year earlier. Officials described the increase as the result of a “consistent return policy”, but opposition parties warned that expulsions were increasingly affecting families and minors.
Turkey and Georgia top destination lists
Most of those removed were returned to Turkey (1,614) and Georgia (1,379), placing both nations at the top of Germany’s deportation destinations. Around one in five deportees was under 18, amounting to 3,095 children and adolescents. Advocacy organizations said that many of these young people had grown up in Germany and spoke little or none of their parents’ native languages.
Coalition aims for faster removals
The governing Christian Democratic–Social Democratic coalition said it wants to speed up deportations of rejected asylum seekers. Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt argued that full enforcement of return obligations was essential for maintaining public confidence, stating that authorities should “implement the duty of return consistently.”
However, the Left Party’s migration specialist Clara Bünger accused the government of disregarding humanitarian standards. She warned that “authorities now seem to know hardly any taboos”, and highlighted expulsions to countries targeting opposition figures and minorities as “deeply irresponsible.”
Talks with Taliban raise alarm
Berlin has also been discussing possible deportations with the Taliban authorities in Kabul. According to Dobrindt, negotiations were “close to conclusion,” with plans to conduct returns of Afghan offenders via commercial flights. The move provoked intense debate since Germany has no formal diplomatic relations with the Taliban government.
Human rights organizations described the idea as a dangerous precedent. The Taliban’s rule remains marked by isolation, repression, and systematic restrictions on women and minorities. Critics questioned how a democratic state could cooperate with a regime that has been condemned by the United Nations for human rights violations.
Children and families at the center of criticism
The high proportion of children and adolescents among those deported drew particular criticism from social welfare groups. Many of the affected minors were born or raised in Germany and have little connection to their parents’ countries of origin. Welfare associations urged the government to carry out individual case assessments and warned of severe psychological impacts on those forced to leave.
• 17,651 people deported between January and September 2025
• 20% increase compared with 2024
• 3,095 minors affected, around one in five
• Talks with Taliban could lead to Afghan returns despite human rights risks
As the debate deepened, officials defended their policy as balancing compassion with enforcement, while critics insisted that Germany was crossing moral boundaries and risking international credibility in pursuit of faster deportations.