Germany deported 1,720 Turkish nationals in 2024, the highest number among all nationalities, as Berlin stepped up its deportation measures, German media reported on Tuesday, citing official data.
The German Interior Ministry announced a sharp rise in deportations last year. Between January and November, 18,384 people were deported, an increase of 21 percent compared to the 15,155 deportations in the same period in 2023. The total number for 2023 was 16,430.
Turkish nationals were at the top of the deportation list with 1,720 people returned in 2024, closely followed by Georgia with 1,678 deportations, while other significant numbers came from Syria, Afghanistan, North Macedonia, Albania, Serbia and Iraq.
The increase in deportations coincided with efforts to send people back to their countries of origin or, in some cases, to other EU countries under the Dublin Agreement, which assigns asylum applications to the first EU country of entry.
For example, of the 816 Iraqis deported in 2024, 615 were returned to Iraq, while others were transferred to EU countries responsible for their asylum applications.
Despite the increase, deportations in 2024 remained below pre-pandemic levels. In 2016 Germany deported 25,375 people, compared to around 22,000 in 2019.
The increase in deportations was accompanied by a sharp decline in asylum applications and irregular border crossings. In 2024 around 213,000 asylum applications were made in Germany, compared to 351,000 in 2023, which corresponds to a decrease of more than a third. The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees attributes this to stricter border controls and cooperation with its EU neighbors.
Irregular entry has also decreased significantly. Between January and November, 62,493 people were detected at Germany’s borders, compared to 103,526 in the same period in 2023. However, the number of rejections at the borders rose to over 34,000, compared to 29,000 the previous year.
The rise in deportations has sparked debate, particularly over the treatment of asylum seekers.
Reports of a possible agreement between Germany and Turkey on accelerated deportations of Turkish nationals have been denied by Ankara. The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper had previously reported that Turkey had offered to accept up to 500 deportees per week on “special flights” in exchange for relaxed visa restrictions for Turkish travelers, a claim denied by the Turkish Foreign Ministry.
Far-right parties have gained influence in Germany due to public concern over migration. In the run-up to early elections in February 2025, the Christian Democratic Union and the Christian Social Union have proposed stricter immigration measures, including the automatic deportation of asylum seekers who have committed multiple crimes.