Germany deported 14,324 people from January through September 2026, nearly 19% fewer than in the same period a year earlier, according to Interior Ministry figures reported by DW. The ministry supplied the figures in response to an inquiry from the Left Party.
The total was down from 17,651 deportations in the first nine months of 2025. Turkey was the most common destination in 2026, with 2,025 people sent there, followed by Georgia and Algeria, DW reported.
Returns to Syria remained rare. Six people had been deported there since the start of 2026. The Interior Ministry said the political situation in Syria made deportations extremely difficult, including for convicted criminals.
Voluntary returns are counted separately
The ministry also reported a rise in assisted voluntary departures. From January through September, 14,140 people received help to return to their countries of origin, compared with 12,263 in the same period of 2025. These returns are a separate category from forced deportations.
Separate federal figures published by the German Bundestag recorded 9,663 deportations in the first half of 2026. Of those, 7,142 were to countries of origin; the remainder were transfers to other European countries under the Dublin rules. That six-month total covers a different period and does not independently confirm the ministry figures for January through September.
Reid Bentley