Germany was forced to suspend nearly 9,000 deportations during the first half of the year after authorities were unable to locate migrants scheduled for removal, according to government figures.
A total of 8,826 planned forced returns were postponed during the first six months of the year because migrants either went into hiding or failed to provide authorities with updated addresses.
The affected cases involved rejected asylum seekers, migrants without legal status and foreign nationals convicted of crimes in Germany.
The figures, initially reported by German media, have renewed debate over the effectiveness of the country’s deportation system and placed additional pressure on Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s government, which has made migration control a major political priority.
Germany’s federal system gives the country’s 16 states primary responsibility for enforcing deportation orders. State authorities are responsible for locating individuals who are due to be removed and, where necessary, placing them in pre-removal detention.
The federal government takes responsibility for the final stage of deportation, including arranging transportation and escorting individuals to airports for their return.
Günter Krings, the Christian Democratic Union’s (CDU) spokesman for interior affairs, argued that migrants who deliberately evade deportation should face consequences for doing so.
“Anyone who goes into hiding must immediately lose all access to social benefits,” Krings told Die Welt, arguing that the legal system should not be undermined by people avoiding removal.
The Christian Social Union (CSU), the CDU’s Bavarian sister party, has also called for stronger measures to prevent migrants from disappearing before deportation.
Alexander Hoffmann, a senior CSU lawmaker, said state governments should expand pre-deportation detention capacity to ensure that migrants subject to removal orders remain available for authorities.
“The federal states have a duty to increase their number of deportation detention places so that we can significantly increase the overall number of deportations,” Hoffmann said.
Under German law, residents are required to register their current address with the authorities. However, when migrants fail to update their registration details or deliberately disappear, locating them can become considerably more difficult.
The latest figures have intensified criticism from the Alternative for Germany (AfD), the country’s anti-immigration party, which has accused the government of failing to deliver on its promises to strengthen migration controls.
The issue is particularly sensitive for the Merz administration as migration remains a major political issue and the AfD continues to attract strong support.
Merz’s government has introduced several measures aimed at reducing irregular migration since taking office. These include the reintroduction of border checks at Germany’s land borders and a pledge to accelerate the removal of people who have no legal right to remain in the country.
The government has also placed particular emphasis on deporting rejected asylum seekers and foreign nationals convicted of serious crimes.
Afghan nationals have been among those targeted by Germany’s recent deportation efforts. Berlin has sought arrangements to facilitate the return of certain rejected asylum seekers and convicted offenders to Afghanistan.
The inability to locate thousands of people already subject to deportation orders, however, highlights one of the practical challenges facing Germany’s migration policy: securing a deportation order does not necessarily guarantee that authorities will be able to carry it out.
With responsibility divided between federal and state authorities, officials are now facing renewed calls to improve cooperation, expand detention capacity and strengthen procedures for locating people who evade removal.
The dispute also reflects a wider political struggle over migration in Germany, with the governing parties facing pressure from both opposition groups and voters demanding tougher action on irregular migration and deportations.