The enforcement of deportation procedures for foreigners legally required to leave, or “out of country obligation,” clearly differs across the individual federal states of Germany, according to a response from the Federal Ministry of Interior to an inquiry by the AfD parliamentary group, as reported in “Die Welt”. The data indicates that deportations fail much more frequently in certain states than in others. Adding to concerns, the overall number of available slots for deportation detention has recently decreased nationwide.
Significant disparities are evident in the failure rates during the first half of 2026. For instance, in Berlin, 564 people were successfully deported, yet the deportation attempt failed in 4,538 cases. In Baden-Württemberg, 1,405 people were deported, facing 1,834 failed removals. Deportations can fail for various reasons, such as the individuals not being found or necessary documents being missing.
Overall, the Federal Ministry of Interior reported that 9,663 people were deported across Germany during the first half of 2026, although regional figures vary considerably. North Rhine-Westphalia, the most populous state, managed the highest number of successful removals with 1,931 deportations, while the city-state of Bremen recorded only 51.
Differences also appear when comparing removals to the total number of people subject to deportation requirements. As of December 31, 2025, Hesse had a total of 13,405 individuals subject to deportation, and during the first half of 2026, 914 were removed. In contrast, Brandenburg had only 73 deportations conducted in the first half of 2026, despite having 8,567 individuals under the same deportation obligation as of that date.
Simultaneously, the capacity for both deportation detention and mandatory removal confinement is declining. The Ministry stated that by the end of June 2026, there were 758 available slots nationwide, down from 810 at the end of December 2025. Bavaria holds the highest capacity with 260 slots, but some states still maintain no independent facilities. Demand continues to far exceed supply. During the first half of 2026, states and the Federal Police requested the help of the joint center for repatriation support for 640 cases requiring detention or confinement space, but only managed to secure a placement in 153 of those instances.
