Things to know about deportations in Germany

Who orders and who carries out deportations? And why do some people who get told to leave get to stay anyway? DW untangles Germany's complex and multilayered rules about who can be deported under what circumstances.

Who decides whether someone should be deported?

You might think that would be the task of the Federal Ministry of Migration and Refugees (BAMF) since it decides on granting asylum requests. But the ministry only determines whether people have a political right to stay in Germany. It can issue what is called a "threat of deportation," or Abschiebeandrohung, but it doesn't ultimately rule on whether they should be forced to leave. That's the job of the local authorities in Germany's 16 federal states.

A rejected asylum application is one common reason for a local foreigner registration authority, or Ausländeramt, to tell someone to leave Germany, but it's not the only one. Foreigners with valid resident permits, including people who have been granted asylum, can also be deported if they commit serious crimes. In such cases, local authorities may consult the BAMF to determine whether it is in the overwhelming public interest that the people in question be deported. But the 16 states can also refuse to carry out deportations ordered by the BAMF if, for instance, they think a country of origin is not safe enough to return people to. - More, DW

Things to know about deportations in Germany 

German deportations to Afghanistan to restart next week: reports - dw