The German government announced a 20% increase in deportations from the country since the beginning of the year, amid a wave of protests and concerns among migrants.
In an official statement responding to a request for information from the Left Party's parliamentary bloc, the government explained that "a total of 17,651 people were deported between January and September, compared to 14,706 during the same period last year."
The vast majority of those deported came from Turkey (1,614) and Georgia (1,379). Nearly a fifth of the 3,095 deportees were children or adolescents.
Klara Bünger, a domestic policy expert for the Left Party, criticized this increase, stressing that "mass deportations to countries like Turkey that repress dissent should not take place without taking into account the political and humanitarian situation."
Protests continued in several German cities over the weekend, rejecting Chancellor Friedrich Merz's remarks about the way cities look in light of immigration. These remarks drew widespread criticism from politicians and human rights organizations, including the refugee organization Pro Asyl.
Merz explained that "his remarks targeted immigrants who do not have residence permits or jobs and who do not abide by German laws."
Approximately 5,000 people are expected to participate in Saturday's protests in cities such as Hamburg, Magdeburg, and Nuremberg, expressing their rejection of current deportation and immigration policies.
Bad news for immigrants to Germany
