THE AFRICAN COURIER. Reporting Africa and its Diaspora! The African Courier is an international magazine published in Germany to report on Africa and the Diaspora African experience. The first issue of the bimonthly magazine appeared on the newsstands on 15 February 1998. The African Courier is a communication forum for European-African political, economic and cultural exchanges, and a voice for Africa in Europe.
Germany is witnessing a sharp rise in deportations alongside landmark legal rulings that are reshaping how removals are carried out. Between January and September 2025, authorities deported 17,651 people — about 20 percent more than during the same period last year, according to the Mediendienst Integration.
In the first quarter alone, 6,151 deportations took place, continuing an upward trend that saw numbers rise from roughly 12,945 in 2022 to 16,430 in 2023 and around 20,084 in 2024. Most deportations were to Turkey, Georgia, and Serbia, according to official data.
The rise in deportations also comes amid a decline in asylum applications and a shift in government policy. Early in 2025, asylum filings dropped by over 40 percent compared with the previous year, while deportations increased by roughly 30 percent. The new federal government, led by Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) and Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU), has made deportation and border control central pillars of its migration agenda.
Despite the rise in deportations, the gap between the number of people required to leave Germany and those actually deported remains wide. Federal Police President Dieter Romann noted that, although about 226,000 people are registered as obliged to leave the country, only a fraction have been returned. In 2024 alone, roughly 33,600 planned deportations were cancelled for various logistical or legal reasons.
The increase in removals coincides with a significant ruling by Germany’s highest court. The Federal Constitutional Court (Bundesverfassungsgericht) ruled that detaining individuals for the purpose of deportation requires a judicial order — otherwise, it violates the constitutional right to personal liberty. While immediate action may be justified in rare emergencies (“danger in delay”), the court found that failing to promptly obtain judicial authorization after an arrest is unconstitutional.
Germany’s Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt recently proposed placing migrants awaiting deportation into indefinite immigration detention, sparking criticisms from rights groups who argue it violates the German constitution.
The twin developments — rising deportation figures and stronger legal safeguards — highlight the ongoing tension at the heart of Germany’s migration policy: the drive to enforce removals more decisively while upholding fundamental constitutional rights. Observers are now watching closely how the new government balances these competing priorities amid mounting political and public pressure.
Sola Jolaoso
