Nationwide day of action: demonstrations against deportations at several airports

The action alliance assumed higher numbers and spoke of “several thousand people” who took part in the various initiatives. Parallel to the protests at Berlin, Frankfurt, Leipzig and Munich airports, there were demonstrations in other cities - including Bielefeld, Hanover, Cologne/Bonn and Düsseldorf.

The protests are directed against deportations of rejected asylum seekers, detention pending deportation and the expansion of infrastructure for this purpose. In Leipzig it was mainly about charter deportations to Afghanistan. Deportation flights to Afghanistan have already taken off from Leipzig/Halle Airport several times this year. According to authorities, there were mostly criminals on board.

“We are calling for an immediate stop to deportations because those seeking protection have a right to asylum,” said a spokeswoman for the action alliance. It is terrible that the German government of all people is trampling on this right and collaborating with the Taliban on deportations.

In Frankfurt, according to the “We'll come united” network, which called for the protests together with regional actors, the protests are also against a planned “deportation terminal”.

The money that is spent on deportations should instead be invested in measures to integrate refugees, said a spokeswoman: “We oppose any infrastructure behind deportations and demand freedom of movement for all people.”

A separate “deportation terminal” is also to be built at Munich Airport in order to speed up and facilitate the deportation process. There the campaign “Prevent deportation terminal MUC!” called for protests. She criticizes the fact that with the expansion the airport is providing infrastructure for more deportations and is profiting economically from it.