Germany is done with open door policy: plans to deport 13 500 to Turkey

Media reports on the German-Turkish agreement on the mass deportation of Turks

German media reports that Berlin has "renounced" its open-door policy and concluded an agreement with Turkey that will lead to the mass deportation of 13,500 Turks back to their homeland. Ankara, however, declares such reports false.

The media are making loud noises about the supposedly regular deportation of 500 Turkish immigrants every week on scheduled flights.

In an interview on Monday, German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser announced the deportation of migrants who entered the country illegally back to Turkey. According to politicians, Turkey has agreed to speed up the readmission of Turkish citizens who cannot stay in Germany^[1].

This agreement differs from others, such as those with Uzbekistan or Kenya, where the return of migrants to Turkey could lead to large-scale deportations.

According to data from the German government, almost 1 300 Turkish nationals were deported from Germany in 2023. According to the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees, around 14,500 Turks were due to leave Germany at the end of April 2024.

According to the media, Ankara has offered to take back up to 500 Turkish citizens per week^[2].

Turkey denies such claims: certain platforms are "pushing" a manipulative campaign

However, Turkey itself denies that it has concluded such a migration pact with Germany, under which Turkey agrees to take back non-Turkish citizens (such as Syrians and Afghans).

"Claims that Turkey and Germany have concluded a new refugee agreement and that 200 refugees have already been deported to Turkey are baseless", said a statement issued on Sunday by the Centre for Combating Disinformation of the Turkish Presidential Communication Directorate.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry also denied reports in the German media about Berlin's intention to return 13,500 Turkish citizens without legal residence permits to Turkey.

The Directorate pointed out that all these claims were at odds with reality and were merely "a manipulative campaign pushed by certain platforms", specifically identifying that this could be the work of the Gülenist terrorist group (FETÖ).

It is stated that individual deportations can be carried out with the authorization of the Turkish Foreign Ministry but only after the full exercise of legal rights in Germany^[3].

Germany starts deporting Afghan criminals in late August

Following a bloody attack in August in the western town of Solingen, where three people were stabbed to death during a festival, Germany has decided to tighten its policy on asylum-seekers, sending back 28 Afghans.

The Afghans deported on Monday are reportedly convicted criminals from various parts of Germany, selected by the Ministry of Interior.

The flight is the first deportation of Afghans back to their home country by Germany since the Taliban retook power there three years ago in August 2021. According to the German news magazine Der Spiegel, the deportation resulted from months of negotiation and planning^[4].

The publication also reported that each of the deportees, all men, received a payment of €1 000. The Germans themselves were dismayed by this move, as the deported criminals included child rapists.

Germany has "emerged" with an open policy towards migrants as right-wing forces grow stronger

Meanwhile, Germany is witnessing the rise of right-wing political forces, with the anti-migrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) party gaining ground, especially in Brandenburg, where polls show it is leading with 28% of the vote.

This contrasts sharply with Angela Merkel's open-door policy, which between 2015 and 2016 opened the doors to more than 1.5 million migrants and fostered a "culture of welcome".

But now Germans are less naive and feel less welcoming than before. This country's stance is well reflected in the resounding phrase "Foreigners out" heard in videos on social media.

Never mind that some refugees have indeed integrated into the country's labor market and are contributing to society, all the love Germans have for migrants has been overshadowed by the terrorist attacks that have begun to spread in the wake of the open door policy^[5].

Chancellor Scholz's government has reacted with stricter border controls and more deportations as a sign of a tougher approach to migration. Meanwhile, a recent survey showed that almost a quarter of migrants are considering leaving because of the rise of the far-right.

As Germany grapples with its identity, these "new Germans" voices highlight the struggle for belonging in a context of growing hostility.