Fewer individuals obligated to leave Germany were deported in the first quarter of 2024 compared to the same period last year, potentially linked to the conflict in Iran.
Turkey Leads Deportation Destinations
In the first three months of this year, a total of 4,807 individuals were deported from Germany to their country of origin or transferred to an EU country responsible for their asylum procedure. This contrasts with 6,515 deportations between January and March 2025.
Turkey was the primary destination for deportees in the first quarter of 2024, receiving 601 individuals, followed by Georgia with 266 and North Macedonia with 230.
Reduced Deportations to Spain and France
A comparison of deportation destinations in early 2025 and early 2024 reveals a decrease in the number of individuals transferred to Spain and France. Spain received 192 deportees compared to 325 in the same quarter of the previous year.
France saw 174 deportations, down from 333 at the beginning of 2025.
Impact of Asylum Backlog and Dublin Transfers
Currently, there is no clear direct correlation between the declining number of irregular entries—around 1.5 years—and asylum applications. The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) is utilizing resources freed up by the decrease in applications to process older cases, which, if rejected, can lead to deportation.
However, a connection between the drop in entries and fewer Dublin deportations to EU countries like France and Spain is plausible. Dublin regulations allow for transfer to another EU state only within a specific timeframe.
Once this deadline passes, the responsibility for the asylum procedure shifts to the country where the applicant resides. BAMF therefore prioritizes the swift processing of these cases, particularly for EU countries that cooperate on readmission.
Iran Conflict Disrupts Deportation Flights
The war in Iran, initiated by Israel and the USA in late February, may also contribute to the lower deportation numbers. This is not related to the number of individuals deported to Iran—three in the first quarter of 2024, compared to five in the same period last year—but to flight availability.
The conflict led to the cancellation of numerous flights, limiting the possibility of deportations via commercial airlines. Organizing collective charter flights has also become more difficult for some destination countries due to the ongoing military actions. For example, 157 individuals were deported to Iraq in the first quarter of 2025, but Iraq was not a primary deportation destination from Germany in the first quarter of 2024.