"No Safe Land" - Policians Push Back Against Deportations to Iran
Politicians advocate for a pause in the expulsion of individuals to Iran
In the midst of the intensifying conflict between Israel and Iran, there's increasing turmoil in Germany as politicians call for a halt to the deportation of Iranians residing in the country. Ranks within the SPD, Greens, and The Left are vocalizing their concerns. However, not everyone within the SPD shares these sentiments.
Hakan Demir, a prominent SPD parliament member, expressed concern about sending people into the war-torn Iran, stating, "It would be downright cruel to deport people to Iran now." Thus, he endorses a deportation suspension.
Greens and The Left MPs alike have urged the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees to hold off on deporting Iranian nationals in the current climate. Green MP Filiz Polat advocates for the safety of Iranian nationals within Germany, "We implore the federal government and the states to provide security for Iranian citizens during this precarious time."
Clara Bünger of The Left has been vocal about Iran's unsuitability as a safe haven. She warned that opposition figures are under mounting pressure from the regime, which has grown increasingly violent in its crackdowns. A deportation hold would be "legally and humanely necessary," according to Bünger.
Nevertheless, SPD interior policy spokesman, Sebastian Fiedler, disagrees with the Greens' stance. He argued, "Last year, only 14 people were deported to Iran from Germany; in the first quarter of this year, there were five." Fiedler emphasized that each case is meticulously examined to ensure no one faces potential danger such as death or torture in their homeland.
The deportation halt for Iran, which ended in late 2023, has not been reinstated in 2025. That year, Germany deported five individuals to Iran and returned 69 further Iranian nationals to responsible EU countries under the Dublin Regulation. The Iranian airspace is currently inaccessible due to the conflict with Israel, making deportations from Germany impossible for the time being.
Despite the calls for a halt to deportations, the ongoing geopolitical tension between Israel and Iran does not, as of mid-2025, seem to have led to any specific or new deportation restrictions in Germany. Human rights organizations continue to advocate for a deportation halt due to concerns over human rights abuses, but this has not yielded a federal-level ban.
Concurrently, warnings about the potential infiltration of Mullah agents from the Iranian regime persist. SPD politician, Sebastian Fiedler, highlighted the need to pay attention to Germany's security, particularly with male refugees, to prevent the Iranian regime from using the refugee crisis to smuggle their own individuals into the country.
Israel targeted Iran with a major attack last week, striking nuclear facilities and military installations. In response, Iran has retaliated with rockets and drones against Israel.
References:
- ntv.de, gut/AFP
- [1] humanrightsfirst.org
- [2] amnesty.org
- [3] bmi.bund.de
- [4] tagesschau.de
- [5] spd.de
Keywords:
- Deportation
- Iran
- Iran Conflict
- Israel War
- Israel
- Asylum Policy
- SPD
- Alliance 90/The Greens
- The Left
- Germany
- Mullah Regime
- Security Threat
- Refugee Crisis
- Human Rights Abuses
- Amidst the escalating Iran-Israel conflict, the EC countries' employment policy debates have inadvertently been affected by the political implications of the crisis, with particular focus on the safety of Iranian nationals living within their boundaries.
- In the broader context of general news, criminal justice, and politics, the ongoing Middle Eastern war-and-conflicts have significantly influenced Europe's immigration and asylum policies, with some politicians advocating for a more lenient stance towards deportations to Iran, citing concerns over human rights abuses.
