Hamburg has intensified its deportation efforts, with a recent charter flight transporting rejected asylum seekers to their home countries. This year, the city has already carried out over 1,100 deportations, reaching its highest level since 2016.
Charter flight to Serbia and Macedonia
On Tuesday, September 17, a charter flight departed from Hamburg Airport carrying rejected asylum seekers to Serbia and Macedonia. According to the Interior Authority, among the passengers were seven individuals from Hamburg who are required to leave the country. Six of these individuals are from Serbia, and one is from Kosovo.
The organization of the flight was managed by the state of Schleswig-Holstein. This deportation flight is part of a broader initiative aimed at returning rejected asylum seekers to their countries of origin.
Record high deportation numbers
By the end of August 2024, Hamburg had deported over 1,100 people, marking the highest number since the refugee crisis of 2015/2016. In comparison, the Hamburg Interior Authority reported around 1,500 deportations for the entire previous year. Hamburg is also utilizing the shared deportation detention center in Glückstadt, Schleswig-Holstein, for these operations.
