For now, 16 individuals have been expelled from Hamburg's Dublin center. - Forced Removals: 16 Individuals Transported from Hamburg to Dublin Detention Centre
Streamlining Asylum Deportations: 16 Deportations from Hamburg's Dublin Center
In the past three months, Hamburg's Dublin Center has facilitated the deportation of 16 asylum seekers. This was announced by the Senate in response to a written inquiry from the Left Party in the Hamburg Parliament. Of these deportees, six were held in detention due to the risk of flight, while three chose voluntary departure.
The center currently accommodates 22 adult males, hailing from Afghanistan, Algeria, Guinea, Iran, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Nigeria, Russia, Syria, Turkey, and Ukraine. Since its establishment, a total of 44 men have resided in the center.
Many of the current residents have been in the center for more than two weeks. According to the Dublin-III Regulation, asylum seekers who have already applied for protection in another EU country can be returned to the responsible member state within the first six months of entry. In the past, such transfers often failed due to the deadline. The Dublin centers are intended to expedite these procedures.
Of the 22 refugees currently housed in Hamburg's center, only 16 receive discretionary benefits. These benefits include accommodation, heating, food, personal care, healthcare services, but do not confer a legal entitlement. If the subject of deportation does not leave Germany within two weeks, these benefits are granted on a discretionary basis.
The migration expert for the Left Party, Carola Ensslen, expressed concern over the performance exclusion, stating that the Senate will likely be unable to meet its goal of carrying out deportations within two weeks. This assertion is based on decisions made by the Hamburg Social Court, where the performance exclusion was declared illegal. The interior authority has lodged an appeal against this resolution.
Ensslen argues that the Dublin Center does not lead to more efficient deportations, as claimed by the Senate. Instead, she suggests that it serves as a deterrent, a practice she believes does not justify. Should the Senate persist with the performance exclusions, she views it as a violation of fundamental and human rights, and a major embarrassment for the red-green Senate.
Integrating useful details from the Enrichment Data:- The Dublin Centers, such as the one in Hamburg, are part of Germany's effort to streamline asylum deportation processes and expedite the transfer of asylum seekers to other EU countries where they first entered the EU (Enrichment Data: Overall).- Initially implemented in early 2025, Dublin Centers aim to focus exclusively on Dublin cases, reduce the backlog in standard offices, and enhance collaboration with other EU countries (Enrichment Data: Background on Dublin Centers).- The success of these centers will rely on cooperation from other EU countries and a balance between efficiency and humanitarian considerations to ensure swift and fair deportations (Enrichment Data: Future Prospects).
The Community policy on Dublin Centers, as part of the wider German general-news, seeks to streamline asylum deportation procedures within the EU, following the establishment of such centers in early 2025 (Enrichment Data: Background on Dublin Centers). However, concerns have been raised by the Left Party, such as migration expert Carola Ensslen, about the performance of these centers, particularly regarding the execution of deportations within the stipulated two weeks, which could potentially violate human rights and be a source of embarrassment for the red-green Senate (Enrichment Data: Future Prospects). This debate raises questions about the intersection of politics, crime-and-justice, and employment policy in the context of the EU's asylum deportation process.
