Weekly deliberations among federal and state interior ministers have brought the controversial topic of deporting classified "endangerers" to Syria and Afghanistan under the spotlight. Saxony-Anhalt proposed this motion, urging the federal government to establish deportation mechanisms for high-risk individuals, particularly Syrians and Afghans.
Interior Minister Tamara Zieschang, from Saxony-Anhalt, lately expressed her opinions to German Press Agency. She emphasized the need for the federal government to focus on finding viable solutions to carry out controlled deportations and voluntary departures, especially in Syria and Afghanistan. This call extends beyond terrorists but also to individuals who have committed serious crimes.
Notably, Zieschang called for an end to "thought bans," urging all feasible legal and practical options to secure the safety of the German population. Her advocacy comes amidst the Ampel coalition's "repatriation offensive" initiative.
The Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) currently keeps watch over nearly 500 Islamist "endangerers." These individuals are flagged by authorities as individuals capable of committing the most severe politically-motivated crimes, such as terrorist attacks. Since the Taliban seized power in August 2021, no repatriations to Afghanistan have occurred due to a de facto deportation ban. The case of the Palestinian who was deported from Saxony-Anhalt via Jordan to the West Bank in 2018 remains a notable example of overcoming application complexities in some cases.
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While dealing with this issue, authorities face various challenges, such as limited diplomatic relations, human rights concerns, recursive refugee applications, and security risks, either in the recipient nation or their route back to their nation of origin.
Regardless, proposed solutions and processes require coordinated efforts between federal and state authorities, as well as possible third-country partners, to ensure compliance with international laws and to uphold human rights.
